UFC Belgrade video: Jovan Leka folds Alexander Poppeck with body kick

[ASFN Admin]

Jovan Leka emerged triumphant in the battle of heavyweight newcomers at UFC Fight Night 283 when he stopped Alexander Poppeck in the opening round.

Leka (14-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) had a considerable weight advantage over short-notice replacement Poppeck (21-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC) on Saturday at Belgrade Arena in Serbia, and he put all that forced behind a vicious left body kick that folded his foe and led to the TKO at the 2:22 mark of Round 1.

Check out the replay of the finishing sequence by Leka below (via X):

JOVAN LEKA GETS THE FIRST WIN FOR SERBIA TODAY

What a body kick KO!

[ #UFCBelgrade | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/U91EJQ65YA

— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) August 1, 2026

THAT'S HOW YOU MAKE A DEBUT, JOVAN LEKA

The Serbian heavyweight gets the first round TKO!

[ #UFCBelgrade | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/TWmGIHLAh0

— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) August 1, 2026

The finish by Serbia's own Leka send the hometown crowd into frenzy, and he said this was just a sliver of what he's capable of in the heavyweight division.

"There is no words that can explain this feeling right," Leka told Michael Bisping in their post-fight interview. "Respect to my opponent, he stepped in nine days' notice and he's a light heavyweight. I felt it. It's a big difference.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 283 results:​

• Jovan Leka def. Alexander Poppeck via TKO (liver kick) – Round 1, 2:22
• Stephanie Luciano def. Marina Spasic via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:20

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Belgrade video: Jovan Leka folds Alexander Poppeck with body kick

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