UFC Debuts in Serbia: Medic-Rodriguez Headlines Belgrade
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- UFC holds its debut event in Serbia on Saturday, Aug. 1, at Belgrade Arena, with hometown headliner Uros Medic and fellow Serbian Aleksandar Rakic on the card
- Uros Medic is a nearly 4-1 betting favorite over Daniel Rodriguez, per DraftKings odds cited in the article
- Daniel Rodriguez returns after serving eight months in a Mexican prison for marijuana possession, per the article
- Aleksandar Rakic makes his first career heavyweight appearance against Marcin Tybura, seeking to reverse a four-fight losing streak after once being on a title-shot trajectory
- Paramount+ exclusively streams all UFC Fight Nights through 2033 under a seven-year deal covering 13 numbered events and 30 Fight Nights annually, with no separate pay-per-view fees
- The main card starts at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday with prelims at 10 a.m. ET; Medic told CBS Sports 'We don't get paid by the hour,' noting he hasn't reached a second round in his last five UFC appearances
Why it matters: UFC's Belgrade card marks the promotion's first foray into Serbia, leveraging its biggest local stars to seed a new market. The Paramount+ carriage eliminates the traditional pay-per-view barrier entirely — every fight on Saturday ships with a subscription starting at $8.99 per month, a structural shift from the old ESPN+ PPV model. For Rakic, the heavyweight debut is a career pivot after four straight losses erased his contender status.
