Daniel Rodriguez originally hoped to face Leon Edwards in UFC return

Welterweight Daniel Rodriguez (20–5) is set to face Uros Medic (13–3) on August 1 at UFC Belgrade, but he had hoped for a different opponent. Rodriguez revealed that he actively pursued a booking against Leon Edwards at UFC 329 during International Fight Week, only to learn that Edwards and his team were uninterested in the matchup.

Rodriguez remains undeterred and plans to call out Edwards if he defeats Medic in Belgrade. "We wanted the fight; we asked for the fight," Rodriguez said. "I guess on his end, they were leaning towards another direction. That would've been crazy to have fought on the International Fight Week card. But I got a better opportunity."

Rodriguez enters the Belgrade bout on a three-fight winning streak, though his recent path has been complicated. He was arrested in Mexico last year and spent eight months in a Tijuana jail for crossing the border with marijuana. He was released in April after his incarceration, making his upcoming fight one of his first opportunities to compete since July 2025.

Edwards (22–6), meanwhile, is struggling with form, having lost three consecutive bouts. His troubles began with a title loss to Belal Muhammad in 2024, followed by a brutal stoppage defeat to Carlos Prates in November 2025. A win over Medic would give Rodriguez momentum to target Edwards' comeback fight, though the Englishman's recent struggles suggest the matchup may not carry the prestige Rodriguez initially sought.