White first mentioned the possibility during a conversation with streamer Adin Ross, highlighting the UFC’s continued global expansion. The announcement now locks in Serbia as the next new destination on the promotion’s calendar.
While bouts have yet to be finalized, several regional names have already been linked to the event or have shown interest in competing. Aleksandar Rakic, Ante Delija, Uros Medic, Ivan Erslan, and Dusko Todorovic are among the fighters connected to the card.
Uros Medic has scored the biggest win of his career and has most likely forced his way into the welterweight rankings, scoring a first-round knockout of Geoff Neal in the UFC Houston co-main event.
Medic eyed an early end to the fight, looking to use his speed to set up power shots. Medic appeared to be getting the better of Neal in the opening minute of the fight.
Medic landed a brutal combination, cracking Neal with a left hand and dropping him out cold for the win.
HE ONLY NEEDS ONE 👊@Urketaraketa with a vicious Round 1 KO for a massive ranked win!
Medic has now won three straight and four of his last five while retaining his 100 percent finish rate.
Medic called out Leon Edwards for a fight this summer.
Neal has now lost four of his last five. This is his second straight fight where he was knocked out in brutal fashion, following his loss to Carlos Prates at UFC 319.
UFC welterweight Geoff Neal has opened up about a five-year battle with drug and alcohol addiction, describing a stretch where he says he was “there” but not truly present in his own life.
Neal shared the revelation during an interview with James Lynch on the Home of Fight YouTube channel ahead of his Feb. 21 bout in Houston against Uros Medic.
“I had a real issue for five years,” Neal said. “Right around COVID, right when I got sepsis, I fell in the hole. This is my first time even opening up about it. I had a problem with addiction. Drugs and alcohol. It was rough.”
“The longest I was sober was like two weeks”
Neal said the cycle didn’t just impact his personal life — it also bled into how he prepared to compete.
“Within that five years, the longest I was sober was like two weeks,” Neal said. “And those two weeks were usually before a fight. I would only slow down two weeks before the fight and I’m coming to the fights underprepared, out of shape.”
Despite that, Neal said he managed to keep his footing in the division.
“It’s crazy I stayed in the rankings the whole time,” Neal said. “It was rough. Five years is just ups and downs, just constant.”
Not living — just existing
When Neal described how addiction felt over time, he emphasized how it dulled everything outside of the moment-to-moment grind.
“It really feels like those past five years, I wasn’t living,” Neal said. “I was there but I wasn’t present… Now I’m actually living life. I’m actually experiencing again for the first time.”
Neal also credited his wife for staying with him through it.
“Thank God for my wife,” Neal said. “My wife was here with me through the whole time. She dealt with all the ups and downs.”
Building a routine that protects sobriety
Neal said he’s made major lifestyle changes to avoid putting himself in situations where he knows control can slip. That included cutting off certain relationships and avoiding certain places.
“I would still put myself in situations that… you know damn well you’re not going to be able to control yourself, so why are you putting yourself in that situation?” Neal said. “I had to cut a lot of friends off. I had to stop going certain places, just kind of isolate myself in a sense.”
He also pointed to changing his work environment as part of that shift.
“I can’t work at Moxy’s no more,” Neal said. “I recently went back to Texas Roadhouse… It’s more like a family restaurant… I got to know myself better than that.”
Cold turkey and “75 soft”
Neal said a modified version of the “75 Hard” challenge was a key reset point for him. He called his version “75 soft,” and said the essentials for him were a clean lifestyle — especially no drugs or alcohol.
“75 Hard was the first day I was sober,” Neal said. “Now I’m pushing 100 now. I’m not keeping track… I want it to be a forever thing. I want it to be my lifestyle.”
Neal added that alcohol now feels like something he can’t go back to.
“Whenever I even see liquor, I get sick to my stomach,” Neal said. “I don’t think I’ll ever drink again. After my fight, I’m not going to pick up a bottle again. I think it’s for the best for my family, for my kids, for my wife, for everybody, for my career.”
Why he wanted a “low energy fight” next
In the same interview, Neal explained why he didn’t want a Kevin Holland fight at this point, saying there’s too much “beef” and outside noise tied to that matchup while he’s trying to keep his life steady.
“I got a lot going on,” Neal said. “I’m trying to just have a low energy fight… The less noise the better, because I don’t want to get stressed out and get triggered.”
Neal said that’s part of why he appreciated the UFC lining up Medic next, and he believes the work he’s put in will show on fight night.
“My weight’s been coming down,” Neal said. “My weight’s great right now… It’s way better than it was for my past five fights. This weight cut should be a breeze.”
As for the matchup, Neal predicted he’ll finish Medic quickly.
“I feel like I’m gonna get it done in the first round,” Neal said. “And if not, I’ll take it in the third round.”
Uros Medic is one of those fighters that seems to ensure a finish is going to happen. And for the second straight time, Medic only needs about a minute to score a victory, knocking out Muslim Salikhov at UFC Vegas 111.
Medic looked to bring out his striking right away with his leg kicks, and he seemed to do damage with one of those kicks early on. But a left hand saw him knock Salikhov to the mat.
Medic followed up with some ground-and-pound before the referee called off the action.
Uros Medic Earns Fast Finish Of Muslim Salikhov At UFC Vegas 111
Uros Medic was able to keep his 100-percent finish rate in tact in grand style during the UFC Vegas 109 prelims, nearly getting stopped by Gilbert Urbina before turning things around with his own finish.
Urbina dropped Medic with a right hand in mere seconds, though Medic got up and circled along the outside. Medic seemed to get confident and followed Medic around, trying to stay in front of him.
As Urbina went into attack, however, Medic landed a left hand and a strong knee to the head before dropping Urbina out cold with a nasty left hand.
Uros Medic Scores Quick Comeback KO Of Gilbert Urbina At UFC Vegas 109
Medic, who scored a contract following an appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series five years ago, has now won two of three and four of his last six.
Urbina has now lost three of his last four since arriving to the UFC from his appearance on season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2021.
Welterweight Punahale Soriano got the first main card win of 2025, doing so in practically no time at all Saturday at UFC Vegas 101.
Soriano needed just 31 seconds to score a quick finish of Uroš Medić at the promotion’s first event of the new year inside Las Vegas’ Apex on Jan. 11.
The Hawaiian nailed his Serbian opponentwith a one-two that dropped him. Soriano followed this with some quick but vicious ground-and-pound to put the finishing touches on this win.
Punahele Soriano Puts Away Uroš Medić In Quick Fashion At UFC Vegas 101
Soriano has now won back-to-back fights and three of his last five, improving to 5-4 in the UFC. It also marks his first knockout win since defeating Dalcha Lungiambula in 2022.
After arriving to the UFC 6-0, meanwhile, Medić now falls to 10-3, having been finished in each of his losses.
