Uros Medic returns to Serbia, which will host UFC for the first time. Medic will face an unwelcome guest, Daniel Rodriguez, who enters enemy territory for a headliner unlikely to see main event rounds.
Medic knows how to run up a hospital bill. “The Doctor” has no recorded decisions, win or lose, in a decade-long career. He hasn’t even seen a second round in his last five UFC appearances, four of which he won by knockout. The perception around Medic is pandemonium, but he insists it’s controlled chaos. There’s method to his madness, and Saturday’s main event is a chance to prove that he’s more Justin Gaethje than barroom brawler.
“My goal is to leave a mark and be in this division as a fighter who has come and finished everyone he has faced and made my way to the top that way,” Medic told CBS Sports’ Brian Campbell. “I think that’s what this sport is all about, getting great performances. It’s something that Justin Gaethje did throughout his career, and I love to see it.”
Rodriguez (20-5) will not shy away from a fight. “D-Rod” fights with renewed purpose after having his life temporarily stripped away. He spent eight months in a Mexican prison for a marijuana conviction and did not take much time to settle back home in the United States before agreeing to fly 14 hours to Belgrade. Rodriguez welcomes the brawl that Medic brings.
“The UFC did a great, great job doing this matchup,” he reported. “We are both high, high output strikers, and he is definitely dangerous and definitely in the first round. The odds of this fight going the full 25 minutes are very slim. I feel like my striking is a little underrated when people mention who has some of the best boxing in the game. Every fighter that I have fought has definitely complimented me on it. I definitely feel that my striking is some of the best in the UFC.”
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Serbia is represented well on the main card. Aleksandar Rakic returns to his roots seeking reinvention. The light heavyweight contender hopes his heavyweight debut provides a much-needed change in scenery. Looking to spoil his evolution is heavyweight stalwart Marcin Tybura. Then there’s Dusko Todorovic, who is a small underdog against Dusko Todorovic.
In the co-main event, former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz faces rising contender Navajo Stirling in a crossroads collision.
Let’s take a look at the rest of the fight card with the just in odds from DraftKings before getting to a prediction and expert pick on the main event below.
UFC Fight Night card, odds
| Favorite | Underdog | Weightclass |
|---|---|---|
|
Uros Medic -395 |
Daniel Rodriguez +310 |
Welterweight |
|
Navajo Stirling -310 |
Jan Blachowicz +250 |
Light heavyweight |
|
Aleksandar Rakic -345 |
Marcin Tybura +275 |
Heavyweight |
| Robert Valentin -162 | Dusko Todorovic +136 | Middleweight |
| Vlasto Cepo -355 | Gilbert Urbina +280 | Middleweight |
| Noah Gugnon -115 | Milos Janicic -105 | Lightweight |
Where to watch UFC Fight Night
Date: Saturday, Aug. 1 | Start time: 1 p.m. ET (Main card) | 10 a.m. ET (Prelims)
Location: Belgrade Arena — Belgrade, Serbia
TV Channel: Paramount+ (subscribe now for as low as $8.99 per month)
Medic vs. Rodriguez prediction
Medic is catching Rodriguez at the right time. Rodriguez, 39, spent eight months at the tail-end of his career unable to train or compete while in prison. Medic has fought thrice since Rodriguez’s last bout, most recently breaking into the welterweight rankings by punching Geoff Neal’s’s clock. Rodriguez has significantly more experience against higher-level opposition, but he’s bound to decline despite coming off three straight wins.
Statistically, Saturday’s headliners share many similarities: 6-foot-1 southpaws with great striking differentials and defense. Both men mix in takedown attempts, but it’s certainly not their strength. With so many similarities, it would behoove them to feint and shoot takedowns to open up striking opportunities. Rodriguez believes he is the more technical striker. Maybe? He’s certainly the more composed. Rodriguez benefits from a long fight, but it’s tough to shake the feeling that Medic will steamroll him. It wouldn’t be the first time Rodriguez was knocked out in the first round. Pick: Medic via KO, Round 1
