The UFC is all set to make history as the promotion prepares to make its debut in Serbia for the very first time. On August 1, the Las Vegas-based promotion will head to the Belgrade Arena in Belgrade, Serbia, with the promotion officially announcing 12 bouts for its inaugural event there. But that’s not all. To make the card even more special, a former UFC champion is set to return after battling through a devastating injury.

At the UFC Belgrade Fight Night event, former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz will make his anticipated return against a familiar foe, Bogdan Guskov, in an intriguing rematch.

“Big Jan is BACK at #UFCBelgrade 🤩 @JanBlachowicz vs Bogdan Guskov 2” UFC Europe shared on X.

For Blachowicz, that’s definitely a positive sign considering the injury setbacks he has endured recently. The former champion was initially scheduled to face Guskov in a rematch at UFC 328 in May. However, the Polish fighter suffered a torn meniscus during training that same month, which forced him out of the contest. As a result, the promotion scrapped the fight from the Newark card altogether. And unfortunately for the former champion, the torn meniscus only added to a growing list of devastating injuries that have plagued the 43-year-old in the latter stages of his career.

Back in January 2024, the UFC had scheduled Blachowicz to face Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 297. However, the ex-champion withdrew from the matchup due to a serious shoulder injury. Later, Blachowicz revealed that he underwent surgeries on both shoulders that ultimately derailed his comeback for the entirety of that year.

Although he eventually returned to action, Blachowicz admitted in an interview that he had lost around 40 percent of his power following the surgeries. In fact, those effects were visible during his fight against current light heavyweight champ, Carlos Ulberg, at UFC London last year. But he’s not the only light heavyweight to endure such a difficult recovery process.

Besides him, ex-205 lbs champ Jiri Prochazka also underwent major shoulder surgery following his clash with Glover Teixeira at UFC 275. While Procházka returned to action in a year and has since won a few fights, he has also racked up multiple losses since then. This goes to suggest how devastating injuries can be for a fighter’s career.

Last time, Blachowicz faced Guskov at UFC 323, eight months ago—a fight which ended in a draw. Since then, the rematch has been looming. Still, Blachowicz remains the No. 4-ranked contender despite not recording a victory since defeating Rakic in 2022. For the No. 10-ranked Guskov, who’s the fresher fighter in this contest, the fight presents another massive opportunity to beat the former light heavyweight champion and take his spot up in the top five.

Now that Blachowicz is officially set to return, the UFC Serbia Fight Night card is already shaping up to be a banger. However, he’s far from the only notable name scheduled to compete in the event.

UFC Serbia card receives major boost with Aleksandar Rakic and Johnny Walker additions

The UFC’s inaugural event in Belgrade will be headlined with a welterweight showdown between Uros Medic and Daniel Rodriguez. Fighting in front of his home crowd, Medic enters the contest after finishing each of his last three opponents in the first round. But, once again, Medic would face another veteran in the form of ‘D-Rod’.

Rodriguez returns after defeating Kevin Holland at UFC 318 last year. However, the 170 lbs veteran has spent more time away from competition because he spent eight months in prison in Mexico. Following this, the Californian now finds himself tasked with stopping one of the rising contenders in the welterweight division in front of his home crowd. So, it will be interesting to see whether the veteran can halt Medic’s momentum on enemy territory. But that’s not the only intriguing matchup on the card.

Serbia’s own Aleksandar Rakic is also set to return following a year-long layoff. The light heavyweight contender suffered a crushing loss to Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 321, marking the fourth straight defeat of his recent run. After a disappointing run at 205 lbs, Rakic has decided to make a major career change by moving up to heavyweight, where he will square off against veteran Marcin Tybura. However, the Serbian isn’t the only former light heavyweight making the jump.

Another light heavyweight contender, Johnny Walker, has also moved up to heavyweight after his loss to Dominick Reyes at UFC 327 in Miami. Now, the Brazilian fan favorite is scheduled to face Tom Aspinall’s teammate, Ante Delija, at UFC Belgrade, and a win from here would put Walker into the rankings. 

With several recognizable names across the divisions, mixed with hometown stars, and high-stakes matchups already confirmed, the UFC’s first trip to Serbia is shaping up to be a significant one. However, it would be interesting to see whether Jan Blachowicz still manages to put on an impressive performance after coming back from another devastating injury.