UFC Belgrade video: Jovan Leka folds Alexander Poppeck with body kick
· Yahoo Sports
Jovan Leka emerged triumphant in the battle of heavyweight newcomers at UFC Fight Night 283 when he stopped Alexander Poppeck in the opening round.
Leka (14-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) had a considerable weight advantage over short-notice replacement Poppeck (21-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC) on Saturday at Belgrade Arena in Serbia, and he put all that forced behind a vicious left body kick that folded his foe and led to the TKO at the 2:22 mark of Round 1.
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Check out the replay of the finishing sequence by Leka below (via X):
JOVAN LEKA GETS THE FIRST WIN FOR SERBIA TODAY 🇷🇸
— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) August 1, 2026
What a body kick KO! 🤩
[ #UFCBelgrade | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/U91EJQ65YA
THAT'S HOW YOU MAKE A DEBUT, JOVAN LEKA đź‘Ź
— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) August 1, 2026
The Serbian heavyweight gets the first round TKO!
[ #UFCBelgrade | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/TWmGIHLAh0
The finish by Serbia's own Leka send the hometown crowd into frenzy, and he said this was just a sliver of what he's capable of in the heavyweight division.
"There is no words that can explain this feeling right," Leka told Michael Bisping in their post-fight interview. "Respect to my opponent, he stepped in nine days' notice and he's a light heavyweight. I felt it. It's a big difference.
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 283 results:
- Jovan Leka def. Alexander Poppeck via TKO (liver kick) – Round 1, 2:22
- Stephanie Luciano def. Marina Spasic via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:20
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Belgrade video: Jovan Leka folds Alexander Poppeck with body kick