The veteran welterweight known for first-round finishes thrilled his home audience on Saturday with a blistering knockout that caused the crowd to erupt in celebration. Even UFC CEO Dana White was blown away by the reception that Medic received and, truth be told, the Serbian star is still struggling to wrap his head around the entire event.
“Definitely a dream come true,†Medic said about the experience at the UFC Belgrade post-fight press conference. “It was crazy. I need to rewatch the tape. I need to see what happened. Because in that moment, I was in the zone trying to keep my composure because it's been a long time. I missed home a lot and I spent the last two weeks home and I could not feel like home. It just didn't feel like home. I tried to stay away from the family. I didn't stay in my house. I was in the city. It's just a lot.
“So I'm happy that people showed up and showed so much love and support. I don't think there was a man alive that could beat me tonight.â€
With the win, Medic has now scored four consecutive first-round finishes and he seemingly puts himself in position for an even bigger opportunity for his next outing.
Immediately after the win, Medic mentioned Carlos Prates as a potential opponent, but acknowledged that he's so much further ahead in the rankings that the matchup just might not make sense yet. So instead, he turned his attention towards former UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, who he also called out after his previous win over Geoff Neal.
While Edwards is currently riding a rough three-fight losing streak, he's still embedded in the UFC's welterweight top 10 rankings and that's really what Medic is chasing.
“Leon Edwards [is who I want] if he makes himself available,†Medic said. “I'm not going to bully him anymore. If he doesn't want to fight, we'll fight someone else. It's not a big deal.
“He is ranked where I want to be ranked. Because that puts me closer to where I want to be and that is with the belt around my waist.â€
Given the reception Medic received at UFC Belgrade on Saturday, the promotion might be willing to grant whatever wish he wants for what's next.
While one night doesn't make a career, Medic definitely ascended to new heights with his performance in front of the Serbian crowd. He may now enter some rarified air as an athlete who can get an entire country behind him whenever he performs and that makes Medic a bankable fighter for the UFC.
But does that enter Medic into the running as a potential superstar for the UFC?
That's not his call, but Medic definitely felt like the biggest name in the sport for at least one night with his win over Rodriguez.
“I mean you tell me,†Medic said about his superstar status in the UFC. “I'm just a fighter. I'm just a guy. I follow my dreams. I try to enjoy as much as I can. What I do, it's a very stressful job but it's very emotional and it's also very, very rewarding to come out victorious.
“If it's not, we'll do something better and that will make us a superstar. But ultimately that's not the goal. The goal is to live life worth remembering.â€
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