The UFC's first event in Serbia did not disappoint Saturday, as UFC Fight Night set a record for first-round finishes in a single night.
Serbian welterweight Uros Medic (14-3) did his part in the main event, defeating Daniel Rodriguez (20-6) via TKO in a mere 30 seconds. A record 10 of 14 bouts contested at UFC Fight Night ended inside the first round. None were as significant as that of Medic, who likely will break into the UFC's welterweight rankings for the first time since joining the promotion in 2021.
"I'm gonna cook the rest of this division," said Medic, who has now won his past four consecutive bouts by knockout. "With [Serbian fans] by my side, we are going to bring this belt back to Serbia."
There were storylines on both sides heading into Saturday's main event in Belgrade. Medic, 33, was born in Serbia but hadn't visited his home country in nearly a decade.
Rodriguez was released from a Mexican prison in April, after serving an eight-month sentence for drug possession in Tijuana.
Once the headliner began, it was obviously Medic's night. He hurt Rodriguez with a clean straight left, and followed with a partially landed right uppercut and knee. Rodriguez, 39, did not go unconscious but fell to the canvas and covered up.
It is the quickest knockout of Medic's UFC career, and he has had a lot of them. He has now finished six of his UFC opponents inside the first round, and he earned his UFC contract in 2021 with a first-round finish on Contender Series.
"I just want to cry," Medic said. "I missed home so much. Nine years, it's a long time. I left when I was a student. I was 22 years old with a dream, and look where it got me. Carlos Prates is way ahead of me in the division but this would be a fight to remember. And [former champion] Leon Edwards, I think he's still in hiding, but if he decides to come out of the hole he shoved himself into, I would gladly be next to knock him out."