UFC Fight Night 283 takes place tomorrow in Belgrade, Serbia and we’ve got our predictions for all the fights below.
Main Card
Uroš Medić vs. Daniel Rodriguez
Uros Medic has won his last three UFC fights in under 90 seconds each and now headlines this event in his homeland against Daniel Rodriguez, who has also compiled a three-fight winning streak.
The 33-year-old Medic, 33 is a proven finisher, with all 13 of his career victories having come inside the distance, and more often than not in the opening round. He throws aggressive, high‑volume kickboxing combinations with major punching power and isn’t shy about mixing in spinning attacks too. He’s got a couple of submission wins too from earlier on in his career, but his defensive grappling remains a concern with two of his UFC losses having come by submission, while his aggressive style leaves defensive holes that can be exploited, as shown by his 31‑second KO loss to Punahele Soriano last year.
The 39-year-old Rodriguez has had a turbulent time over the past few years. Once a quietly reliable welterweight, he hit a sudden three‑fight skid in late 2022 that led to fears age was catching up with him, before rallying with wins over veterans like Kevin Holland and Santiago Ponzinibbio. Then in the second half of last year he seemed to disappear from the scene entirely, only to re-emerge in April with a story to tell, having just spent eight months in a Mexican jail on a marijuana possession charge. At his best, D‑Rod is a steady, pressure‑based boxer who works behind a dependable jab and works to the head and body with consistent output. He’s not a one‑shot finisher, but his volume and durability has enabled him to get the better of opponents over time. He’s also capable enough on the mat to stay safe when needed.
D-Rod’s wasting eight months behind bars is clearly not ideal, especially at this late stage in his career, and with Medic coming into this one with plenty of confidence and having a distinct advantage in terms of power I think he’ll produce a 2nd round TKO finish.
Pick: Uros Medic wins by TKO in Rd2.
Jan Błachowicz vs. Navajo Stirling
Former UFC light‑heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz has only mustered two draws and two losses in his last four bouts and now faces a short‑notice opponent in Navajo Stirling, who has won all five of his UFC bouts so far to take his undefeated record to 10‑0.
Blachowicz is now 43-years-old and it shows as he has just one win since his brief 2021 title reign. In all fairness he’s still more durable than you’d expect for his age, even managing to go all three rounds against notorious knockout artists like Alex Pereira and Carlos Ulberg. However, it’s inevitable that he’s gradually been declining in other ways such as his speed, work-rate and output. Even so, he’s still able to draw on his technically assured counter‑striking in the boxing department along with solid kicks on the feet, together with some reliable wrestling and grappling chops too. He’s been fighting for nearly two decades though and has had numerous injuries, so it does feel like his career is on borrowed time and could begin to fall apart at any stage.
At 28-years-old Stirling is still in his prime years and continues to hold an unblemished record. His UFC résumé is still relatively thin though, with a TKO finish of Ion Cutelaba last time out being his best win. Stirling is a well sized, athletic 205lb’er who initially began his combat sports career in muay thai before transitioning to MMA a few years ago. That gives him a solid striking base, with a versatile mix of punches, kicks, knees, elbows all being a threat, delivered with enough power for six stoppage wins so far. Meanwhile his takedown defense isn’t all that convincing, but he’s shown he can usually scramble back up when grounded.
If Blachowicz was a few years younger I’d pick him here, but at this stage with his output declining and question marks over his ability to consistently wrestle for extended periods I favor the younger, faster and hungrier Stirling to win the striking battle here over three rounds to come away with a decision win.
Pick: Navajo Stirling wins by decision.
Aleksandar Rakić vs. Marcin Tybura
Aleksander Rakic looks to end a four-fight slump when he moves up to heavyweight to face Marcin Tybura, who has lost twice in the past year.
Five years ago Rakic was a rising contender at 205lbs, sitting at 14‑2 with a 6‑1 UFC record. His downturn began with a TKO loss to Jan Blachowicz in 2022 due to an ACL tear that kept him out of action for two years, and since returning he’s dropped three more fights, including two by TKO. At 34-years-old Rakic will hoping there’s still time to turn things around with a move up to heavyweight, and at 6ft 5″ with a 78″ reach he does have the frame for his move up to heavyweight. He will be coming in on the lighter side of the scale for the division though at around 237lbs, but that will give him an advantage in speed and athleticism here and should help maintain his cardio. Rakic is a technical kickboxer who showed off finishing power early in his UFC run, but over time he’s become more patient and willing to work for a win on the scorecards, helped by also having a functional wrestling game too, though he lacks a submission threat.
The 40-year-old Tybura has been a steady, workmanlike heavyweight for years in the UFC who is good enough to beat some mid‑tier names, but struggles to do the same with the divisions upper-echelon talents. Tybura relies on boxing fundamentals, clinch work, and capable wrestling while staying methodical and not over-exerting himself. Durability has been a concern though, with six of his 11 losses coming via strikes, and his overall skill set is inevitably fading with age.
Despite Rakic’s slump, this is still a winnable match-up for him up at heavyweight as he’s the better striker and has enough wrestling to stay competitive. So I’ll take Rakic to get the better of the exchanges to win by decision.
Pick: Aleksander Rakic wins by decision.
Duško Todorović vs. Robert Valentin
Dusko Todorovic and Robert Valentin comes into this fight with identical recent form, with each having won by submission last time out to break free from three defeats in a row.
The 32-year-old Todorovic has always struggled to find consistent form in the UFC, resulting in a 4‑6 run over the past six years. Todorivic has a taekwondo background but is more of a pressure‑heavy kickboxer these days, throwing his strikes with big power and also being aggressive in the clinch. Twelve of his 13 wins are inside the distance, split between eight KOs and four submissions. His main issue has been his striking defense and durability as he presents a very hittable target, leading to four of his UFC losses coming via TKO (although one was due to a knee injury).
The 31-year-old Valentin was in dire need of that quick submission win last time out, but even so his 11‑6 career record remains unconvincing. He’s a tall, lean middleweight who will have a few extra inches in reach to work with here, but his striking is unconventional and tends to overlook punches in favor of kicks and spinning attacks. His chin is also a concern, having suffered two TKO losses in three UFC bouts. Valentin tends to focus on his ground game though, with decent wrestling and a reliable rear‑naked choke that accounts for six of his seven submission wins. Even so, his takedown defense is questionable and he’s less effective off his back.
Both fighters here have vulnerabilities, but I think Todorovic can impose himself in the striking action while fending off any early attempts to get the fight to the mat to secure a 1st round TKO finish.
Pick: Dusko Todorovic wins by TKO in Rd1.
Vlasto Čepo vs. Gilbert Urbina
Vlasto Cepo prepares to make his UFC debut with a 14‑3 career record and will be going up against Gilbert Urbina, who has lost his last two fights by strikes in the 1st round.
The 31-year-old Cepo has built his reputation on the regional scene as a fast-starting, aggressive, heavy‑handed finisher. All 14 of his wins have come before the final bell, and in fact only one has gone past the first round. So he’s undoubtedly a big threat on the feet, but the problem is that he burns through a lot of energy quickly while hunting for a finish, which takes a toll on his stamina. That’s reflected in the fact that all three of his losses to date coming after the opening five minutes. On top of that, his few submission wins on the regional scene flatter to deceive as he’s actually quite poor on the mat.
Urbina arrived via the TUF show, losing to Tresean Gore by KO in the semi-finals before returning as a late‑replacement finalist and being submitted by Bryan Battle. He picked up a TKO win afterward, but has since been finished quickly by both Charles Radtke and Uros Medic, leaving his record at just 7‑4. Urbina is quite a scrappy striker who looks to unsettle opponents by pushing the pace, while also being a capable grapple who welcomes scramble situations. His rear‑naked choke is his best weapon, but his striking fundamentals, questionable chin, and takedown defense remain a big concern.
Both fighters here are flawed, but I think Urbina’s weak chin will be tested early in the fight, leading Cepo to a 1st round TKO finish.
Pick: Vlasto Cepo to win by TKO in Rd1.
Prelims (Predicted winners in bold)
Miloš Janičić vs. Noah Gugnon
Ľudovít Klein vs. Tofiq Musayev
Oban Elliott vs. Michael Oliveira
Mark Vologdin vs. Josias Musasa
Dennis Buzukja vs. Bogdan Grad
Mateusz Rębecki vs. Kyle Prepolec
Nina Nikolija Milošević vs. Hailey Cowan
