The emotional toll of fighting was evident in the aftermath of UFC Belgrade, with several fighters sharing their reactions to tough losses. Daniel Rodriguez, despite his quick knockout, stated he was "proud of myself" and acknowledged Medic simply "beat me to the punch." Oban Elliott also shared his thoughts after a brutal knockout loss. In a more definitive move, Hailey Cowan announced her retirement from the sport following her defeat at the event. These reactions highlight the personal stakes involved in every fight.
Sources (12)
We summarise the day's news in our own words. Full credit to the outlets below for the original reporting, click through to read their work.
- Daniel Rodriguez releases statement following UFC Belgrade knockout loss – ‘Beat me to the punch’ (MMA Mania)
- ‘Proud of myself’... Daniel Rodriguez reacts to his 30-second KO loss to Uros Medic at UFC Belgrade (Bloody Elbow)
- Sooo... About Last Night (Yahoo Sports)
- Hailey Cowan Announces Retirement After UFC Belgrade Loss (Yahoo Sports)
- Oban Elliott Shares Reaction to Brutal KO Loss at UFC Belgrade (Yahoo Sports)
- Video: Arman Tsarukyan slams and easily submits Indian influencer, calls out Dillon Danis (MMA Fighting)
- Uros Medic lays waste to Daniel Rodriguez in just 30 seconds, calls out Leon Edwards after UFC Belgrade main event (MMA Fighting)
- UFC Belgrade bonuses: Uros Medic, 3 more take home $100K bonus (Sherdog)
- Uros Medic annihilates Daniel Rodriguez in 30 seconds at UFC Belgrade (Sherdog)
- ‘Just cemented himself as a contender’: Pros react to Navajo Stirling’s stunning knockout over Jan Blachowicz at UFC Belgrade (MMA Fighting)
- UFC Belgrade post show: Reaction to Uros Medic’s star-making knockout over Daniel Rodriguez (MMA Fighting)
- Medic caps record-setting UFC night with fast TKO (ESPN MMA)
Split from that day's roundup, so the sources listed are the full set behind the whole edition rather than this story alone.
This story ran in the August 2, 2026 edition of the daily show.