2026 UFC Fight Night at Belgrade Arena: Uroš Medić Undertakes the Domination of ‘D-Rod’
Welcome to the country where ancient mountains have hosted human beings since ancient times. The same mountains have looked upon battles and warriors across time, and as UFC Fight Night 287 approaches Serbia, so do modern warriors of this era. Specifically, the warriors facing each other are of the men's Welterweight Division, and their names are Uroš Medić and Daniel Rodriguez. Both fighters have fought for over five years in the combat sport, which will make for a good matchup by experience alone. However, experience isn't a determining factor for predicting who will win in a UFC bout.
Medić was predicted to lose in his fight with Geoff Neal, but he beat those odds against him and won by KO/TKO in the first round. That victory could be attributed to the 33-year-old's ability to counter and throw well-placed strikes. After all, he strikes with 60% on average and absorbs only 3.42 strikes per minute. He is just as much a striker as he is an accomplished boxer when stats are considered. This could be the reason why he is called 'The Doctor' because of how precise he is with the treatment plan he makes for each of his opponents.
Rodriguez, or 'D-Rod ', is one such opponent who will need a similar treatment plan to the one given to Neal. He is a striker who lashes out 7.20 strikes per minute and, as a result, leaves himself open to any incoming strikes. These incoming strikes amount to him absorbing 5.40 strikes per minute on average, but he can rectify this hole in the time leading up to this fight. Also, he will have more reach than 'The Doctor' by as much as three inches. If he's smart, he'll capitalize on this and keep his opponent at bay to let no significant strikes land.
The current predictions speculate that he will not capitalize on this advantage of reach and instead Medić will be the victor of this fight by KO/TKO. It's not hard to see either, given that three of his previous fights were won by KO/TKO. He is a methodical and patient fighter, which is largely why he can win this fight. If the 33-year-old does not win, it'll be because he will succumb to 'D-Rod's' furious striking capacity. The 39-year-old fighter is faster by the number of strikes landed per minute and actually has a slightly higher defense overall.
Both fighters will be relying on their respective strategies of defense throughout this fight, but what will make 'The Doctor' the winner will be his precision. His career is still developing, with it being at 13-3-0 versus his opponent's at 20-5-0, which is why the 39-year-old adversary has a statistically higher number of strikes per minute. Furthermore, Medić will be looking for any hole to sink a well-placed strike to continue his current winning streak. Whether or not he will maintain this streak will be up to technique and his ability to survive under pressure. A pressure best observed by streaming this fight through Paramount+ at 1:00 p.m. EDT live at Belgrade Arena!
