UFC Belgrade gets late-notice replacement from Brave champion

A late-notice change has reshaped the bantamweight division's presence at UFC Belgrade. Josias Musasa withdrew from his scheduled bout against Mark Vologdin, and in stepped Borislav Nikolic, the reigning Brave CF bantamweight champion, to face Vologdin this weekend.

Vologdin (12-4-2), a notable Contender Series graduate, initially lost his audition with Dana White yet impressed enough to earn a UFC contract and an additional bonus after earning 2025 Fight of the Year honors in his matchup with Adrian Luna Martinetti. He made his promotional debut in April at UFC Winnipeg, fighting to a draw with John Castaneda.

Nikolic (16-2) competes out of Belgrade and has built his career largely within Brave CF, capturing the bantamweight title in June and defending it at Brave CF 100 in November. The promotion's champion enters on a six-fight winning streak and will make his UFC debut at home. The news comes as Uros Medic and Daniel Rodriguez continue to headline the card in a welterweight matchup.