Jovan Leka Scores First-Round TKO at UFC Belgrade

The stoppage spotlights Leka as a rising heavyweight prospect after his opponent stepped in on short notice and gave up nearly 50 pounds.

Overview

Leka defeated Alexander Poppeck by TKO via a liver kick and follow-up punches at 2:22 of round one in Belgrade on Saturday.
A perfectly placed left kick to the liver collapsed Poppeck and referee Vladimir Badrljica stopped the fight after Leka landed follow-up strikes.
Poppeck took the fight on about a week's notice and weighed roughly 215 pounds at the official scale while Leka checked in near 262.5 pounds, a gap reporters described as almost 50 pounds.
The win makes Leka the first Serbian fighter to record a UFC victory on Serbian soil and raises his profile after earlier appearances on Dana White’s Contender Series.
Poppeck, who has fought in PFL and Oktagon and historically competed at lower weights, is expected to return to lighter divisions while Leka moves into prospect conversations and likely gets faster matchmaking tests.