Medic delivers TKO in 30 seconds on return to Serbia

Uros Medic (right) pressures Daniel Rodriguez. [UFC]

"Doctor" Uros Medic delivered a TKO victory in just 30 seconds before a home crowd in Belgrade — his first return to Serbia in nine years.

Medic, ranked 14th in the UFC welterweight division (77.1 kg), stopped No. 15 "D-Rod" Daniel Rodriguez (39, United States) in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Medic vs. Rodriguez at Belgrade Arena on Sunday (Korean Standard Time). He dropped Rodriguez with a left overhand hook counter followed by a right hook and left hook combination, then finished with ground-and-pound strikes for the TKO.

The win extended Medic's streak to four consecutive first-round punch knockouts, improving his career record to 14 wins and 3 losses.

Medic had not set foot in his homeland in nine years, but fight preparation left little room for sentiment — until the final bell. "The few weeks after arriving in Serbia were really tough," he said. "I came home but it didn't feel like home. Now that the fight is over, I want to cry." He added: "I missed home so much. Nine years is a really long time. I left at 22, as a student chasing a dream. Look at where I am now."

Medic made clear he is aiming higher. "I'm going to completely destroy the rest of the welterweight division," he told the crowd, promising to "bring the UFC title to Serbia — because you are all with me." His next targets are No. 2-ranked Carlos Prates and former champion Leon Edwards, currently ranked eighth.

On Prates, Medic said: "He's way above me right now, but I think we can put on a memorable fight." He had sharper words for Edwards: "I called out Leon Edwards but he still seems to be hiding. If he decides to crawl out of the hole he dug himself into, I'll be happy to knock him out."

Navajo Sterling (right) lands a powerful overhand right on the chin of Jan Blachowicz. [UFC]

In the co-main event, UFC light heavyweight (93 kg) No. 15 Navajo Sterling (28, New Zealand) extended his unbeaten streak to 11 consecutive wins, stopping former champion and current No. 4 Jan Blachowicz (43, Poland) by punch TKO at 2 minutes 56 seconds of the first round.

Speaking after the fight, Sterling said: "Fighting starts in the head — you visualize it first, then you make it real." He added that facing a former champion had been a privilege: "It was a true honor to share the octagon with him. I'm a huge fan of his."

The event rewrote UFC finish records. The card produced 12 finishes, setting a new single-event record, and eight first-round finishes, also a new all-time mark for a single event. Both Medic and Sterling earned Performance of the Night bonuses of $99,700 each.

yjc@heraldcorp.com