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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight finishers Uros Medic<\/strong> vs. Daniel Rodriguez<\/strong> will clash TODAY (Sat., Aug. 1, 2026) inside Belgrade Arena in Belgrade, Serbia for UFC Belgrade.<\/p>\n Is Medic on the rise? Serbia\u2019s 33-year-old \u201cDoctor\u201d is certainly on the best run of his career, a three-fight win streak that includes KOs over the likes of Geoff Neal<\/strong> and Muslim Salikhov<\/strong>. A lightning fast starter, Medic is known for the early finish, but he hasn\u2019t exactly been tested lately in his historic areas of weakness: defensive grappling and defense.<\/p>\n There are, of course, lots of questions surrounding \u201cD-Rod\u201d as well. It\u2019s been a year since Rodriguez was last in the Octagon \u2026 and he didn\u2019t exactly spend that time honing his skills while locked away in a Mexican prison cell. Rodriguez is tough as nails and plenty proven in a brawl, but one has to wonder if he\u2019s being served up rusty to hand the Belgrade crowd a stunning main event finish.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:<\/p>\n NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 19: Daniel Rodriguez punches Kevin Holland in a welterweight bout during the UFC 318 event at Smoothie King Center on July 19, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Cooper Neill\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 08: (L-R) Uros Medic of Serbia kicks Muslim Salikhov of Russia in a welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on November 08, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n Medic started martial arts young in Judo and kickboxing, and the latter is far more present in his modern fighting style. He moves well and explodes forward, hiding high kick behind bursts of punches. He\u2019s comfortable in the pocket and always ready to fire back, prepared to fully commit to his punches from the first bell.<\/p>\n He\u2019s never won or lost a fight via decision.<\/p>\n There\u2019s definite value to starting quick here. Medic maintains his pace better than one would expect for a fighter given the above statistic, but his great advantages here are athleticism and activity. He\u2019s the younger and more dynamic fighter who has been fighting often. Rodriguez, conversely, has slower feet and hasn\u2019t even been training consistently \u2014 there\u2019s little chance he\u2019s fully prepared for the speed of a high-level professional fight.<\/p>\n Why give him a chance to ease into the fight? Medic should be combining kicks and punches early, either punching forward as he sets his foot or trying to hide a head kick a la Ian Machado Garry<\/strong>.<\/p>\n NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 19: Daniel Rodriguez of the United States (R) strikes Kevin Holland of the United States during their welterweight bout during UFC 318: Holloway vs Poirier 3 at the Smoothie King Center on July 19, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n At first glance, Rodriguez\u2019s consistent UFC success doesn\u2019t make a ton of sense. He\u2019s not a flashy fighter and didn\u2019t join the UFC until his mid-30s. In the cage, however, Rodriguez is a hard-nosed boxer who does not falter in the face of adversity. He maintains his pace well, has a lovely southpaw jab and hard counters, and is unexpectedly difficult to hold on the canvas.<\/p>\n No matter what chaos is going on in the cage, \u201cD-Rod\u201d stays composed. How else could one out-brawl men like Mike Perry<\/strong>, Kevin Holland<\/strong>, and Tim Means<\/strong>?<\/p>\n The jab is going to be key for Rodriguez in this battle of lefties (Medic switches but mostly is southpaw as well). Rodriguez has to earn his opponent\u2019s respect and settle down his blitzes. A few stiff pokes on the nose will go a long way in deterring Medic from rushing forward, and establishing the jab will also help Rodriguez find the timing on his heavier counter shots.<\/p>\n Generally, this bout will favor Rodriguez in the later rounds. He excels in wars of attrition, whereas Medic relies heavily on the quickness that dissipates as fights wear on. If Rodriguez can stick some jabs and perhaps use his size to wear on Medic in the clinch a bit, he\u2019ll be in good position to chase the upset after round two.<\/p>\n Extending the fight would be better strategy than just brawling right away.<\/p>\n HOUSTON, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 21: Uros Medic of Serbia reacts after a knockout victory against Geoff Neal in a welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Toyota Center on February 21, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n This feels like a \u201cPrelims\u201d headliner more than main event, but nevertheless \u2026<\/p>\n Medic does not particularly impress me. He\u2019s fast and powerful and has some European kickboxing funk \u2014 that\u2019s about it. If he rematched Myktybek Orolbai<\/strong> tomorrow, he gets ground to dust a second time. Smoking two aging fighters does not a contender make, but it is promising since Rodriguez turns 40 later this year. Rodriguez, meanwhile, is a consistently under rated gamer who is generally very tough to knock out. He has the skills and experience to endure an early thrashing and turn the tables late.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, it\u2019s very hard to ignore the elephant in the room. I would feel extremely dumb picking a fighter who spent most of the last year eating ramen noodles and doing bicep curls in a prison cell over an active knockout artist.<\/p>\n Medic doesn\u2019t have to be great to find an early left hand, and that might be all it takes.<\/p>\nMedic vs. Rodriguez Betting Odds<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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Medic vs. Rodriguez Prediction<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Prediction: <\/strong><\/em>Medic via knockout<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n
To checkout the latest UFC Belgrade fight card and rumors click here.<\/strong><\/h5>\n