Daniel Rodriguez opens up about first main event against "dangerous" Uros Medic at UFC Belgrade

Daniel Rodriguez has put forth his views on the highly anticipated welterweight showdown between himself and Serbia's Uros Medic. 

The American fighter gave props to his opponent, whilst suggesting that their fight is to be an edge-of-the-seat affair, as they're both powerful strikers and are likely to engage in a stand-up war. 

Daniel Rodriguez predicts that his fight against Uros Medic at UFC Belgrade won't go the distance

Speaking to Brian Campbell for UFC on Paramount, UFC welterweight staple Daniel Rodriguez touched upon his long-awaited return to the octagon. He's on a collision course with Uros Medic. They'll headline UFC Belgrade this Saturday, August 1. 

Medic is on a three-fight win streak, with each of those wins coming via KO/TKO. Rodriguez seemingly alluded to the dangerous combat prowess that "The Doctor" brings to the table but reiterated his self-belief. He stated: 

"You know, the UFC did a great, great job doing this matchup. We're both high-output strikers. He's definitely dangerous; definitely in the first round. You know, the odds of this fight going the full 25 minutes is very slim." 

Rodriguez reaffirmed his belief that Medic is "the most dangerous" in round one. Acknowledging the Serbian combatant as a powerful and explosive striker, Rodriguez added, "But I feel I'm definitely the hardest opponent he's had." 

Additionally, "D-Rod" indicated that he's far more experienced than Medic in regard to having faced high-level opposition. He recalled having beaten some of the world's best fighters. 

The 39-year-old underscored that he boasts the distinction of having the most strikes landed per minute in the history of the UFC welterweight division. Alluding to his and Medic's fighting capabilities, he predicted that their matchup would be a war. 

Rodriguez foresees their fight being contested primarily in the striking department. He said, "I doubt that he's gonna try to go for takedowns or anything. And anybody who knows my fighting style definitely knows that I'm not shooting for takedowns." 

The striking maestro clarified, however, that he's prepared to perform well irrespective of where the fight goes -- ready for "any situation" therein -- alluding to his confidence in his grappling arsenal as well. 

Watch Daniel Rodriguez discuss his imminent clash against Uros Medic below (*comments at the 5:25-minute mark of the video): 

Daniel Rodriguez looks to continue his winning ways after much-discussed Mexican prison stint, ascend in the UFC welterweight rankings

Presently, Daniel Rodriguez stands at the No. 13 spot at welterweight in the official Meta UFC rankings, whereas Uros Medic is at No. 14.

Intriguingly, Rodriguez had lately been linked to a possible clash against former UFC welterweight kingpin, the current No. 8-ranked Leon Edwards. Nevertheless, that fight didn't come to be, but he recently hinted at possibly calling Edwards out if he beats Medic at UFC Belgrade. 

Rodriguez has won three fights in a row and last competed in July of 2025, outpointing fellow fan-favorite striker Kevin Holland in a three-round thriller.

Unfortunately, "D-Rod" was subsequently embroiled in a legal issue, as he was caught with an ounce of marijuana while traveling from San Diego to Tijuana soon after his aforementioned win.

His terrifying Mexican prison stint, which he spoke at length about, ran until his release this April. On his part, the veteran MMA athlete has maintained that he appreciates regaining his freedom and is aiming to resume his ascent up the UFC's 170-pound food chain.