While UFC Houston was headlined by Sean Strickland’s return from a year-long layoff and a clinical striking display that culminated in a third-round TKO over Anthony Hernandez, the co-main event delivered fireworks of its own. Rising welterweight Uros Medic scored a brutal first-round knockout of veteran Geoff Neal, a statement win that could vault him into the division’s rankings.
For context, the 13–3 finisher has never gone to the judges’ scorecards, and the win marked his third consecutive knockout. During his post-fight interview, Medic called out former welterweight champion Leon Edwards, but another revelation also drew attention. He revealed that ongoing immigration complications have prevented him from leaving the United States and securing a travel visa to return to Serbia, prompting a public appeal to President Donald Trump for help resolving the situation.
Uros Medic Expresses Gratitude to Dana White and Donald Trump Over Immigration Support
During the post-fight interview with Michael Bisping, Medic revealed, “I got one little problem. Immigration’s been holding me up, and I can’t travel just yet. So this is my plea for help. Mr. President, if you can see this, please, we’ve got to go to Belgrade, Serbia, for the UFC this summer.”
It now appears that the plea did not fall on deaf ears. Following the fight, Medic was invited by Dana White to speak directly with Donald Trump, where the POTUS reportedly assured him that his immigration issues related to travel to Serbia would be addressed promptly.
During the post-fight press conference, ‘The Doctor’ said, “It’s been hard, you know? Not being able to travel home. I get back, phone call with Dana White — I’m back in his office, and Dana’s got President Donald Trump on speaker phone. And I’m just standing there, cannot believe what’s happening.”
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He added, “He said, ‘You’re good to go wherever you please, you can travel, just give Dana the information you need.’ It was amazing for me to be able to tell him about the situation… I’m still processing all of it.”
The 170-pounder concluded with, “Dana just made my dreams come true for the third time — first was to get signed, second was to go into the top 15, now I just got to speak with Mr. President on the phone, and he said I’m good to travel. My stuff is done, so it’s going to take a minute for me to just process this. A lot has happened in the past hour.”
It remains unclear how much bureaucracy Medic still needs to navigate before he can return home and potentially assist in efforts to bring a UFC event to Belgrade, but he expressed encouragement after speaking with the president, whose wife, Melania Trump, hails from nearby Slovenia.
Medic has long displayed the tools of a future contender at 170 pounds, and UFC Houston may prove to be the breakthrough moment that helps him fully realize that potential. The Serbian striker’s path inside the Octagon has not been without setbacks. A loss to Jalin Turner at lightweight was followed by welterweight defeats to Myktybek Orolbai and Punahele Soriano.
HOUSE CALL FOR MEDIC 🤯@Urketaraketa is here to deliver knockouts every time!
[ #UFCHouston | LIVE NOW on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/Tv8COFKvhu
— UFC (@ufc) February 22, 2026
However, since his knockout loss to Soriano, ‘The Doctor’ has surged with momentum, finishing Gilbert Urbina, Muslim Salikhov, and now Geoff Neal inside the distance. While his knockout of Salikhov turned heads, his $100,000 bonus-winning performance at UFC Houston could be the one that propels him into the rankings.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.