Robert Valentin arrives in Belgrade with a different feeling than the one that followed his first stretch in the UFC. The Swiss middleweight made a strong impression on Season 32 of The Ultimate Fighter, but lost the finale to Ryan Loder before dropping consecutive contests to Torrez Finney and Ateba Gautier. That made his April bout with Julien Leblanc especially important. Valentin won for his first UFC victory, dedicating it to his late mother, who died during his previous training camp.
Now, Valentin is preparing to return against Dusko Todorovic on the main card of the UFC’s debut event in Belgrade, Serbia. The August 1 card takes place at Belgrade Arena, where Valentin will again be the visiting fighter facing a local competitor. That setting is familiar territory for him. He said he has regularly traveled to fight local athletes during his career and enjoys the challenge of entering an opponent’s home environment. His immediate focus is not on lingering over the relief of the Leblanc win, either. After that April result, he said he went back to Las Vegas and returned to training rather than spending much time celebrating. The Belgrade appearance gives Valentin a chance to show whether that quick reset can turn one important result into sustained forward movement.
A difficult UFC stretch shaped Valentin
Valentin’s current position makes more sense when viewed alongside the contrast between his Ultimate Fighter run and his early UFC results. Selected by Alexa Grasso as the first middleweight pick on Season 32, he opened the competition with a 20-second win over Giannis Bachar. He then submitted teammate and friend Paddy McCorry in the semifinals. His role extended beyond his own fights, as he worked with other members of the team and served as a corner for several bouts. That combination of performances made Valentin a memorable figure on the show before he reached the UFC stage.
The transition was far less smooth once he entered the Octagon. Valentin lost the finale to Ryan Loder of Team Shevchenko, then suffered consecutive defeats against Torrez Finney and Ateba Gautier. The April victory over Leblanc therefore represented more than a single result: it ended the losing run and put his first UFC win on his record. Valentin described the emotional weight of that night, particularly because of his dedication to his mother. He also explained that getting through three consecutive losses required him to keep pushing forward and trust that added effort and time would produce a turnaround. His comments frame the Belgrade contest as the next test of that persistence, rather than a chance to look back at one successful evening.
Valentin brings a settled team to Serbia
One of the notable changes around Valentin has been his work with longtime striking coach Dewey Cooper. Valentin said the pair connected immediately after he had moved between locations, teams and coaches. He described their energy, training approach and mindset as matching, while praising Cooper’s ability to bring calmness alongside a direct business-first approach. Valentin has also established himself at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, giving his preparation a clearer base as he moves into this next fight week. Mairon Santos, Valentin’s Ultimate Fighter teammate and the featherweight winner from that season, cornered him alongside Cooper in Winnipeg. Santos will not be in Valentin’s corner in Belgrade because he is preparing for a fight in Paris. Valentin said he plans to corner Santos there. In Serbia, longtime UFC light heavyweight Volkan Oezdemir, identified by UFC.com as the first Swiss fighter to join the roster, will replace Santos in Valentin’s corner. The personnel change does not alter the central point Valentin emphasized: he feels his broader setup is now coming together. Valentin carries an 11-6 record with 10 finishes into the Todorovic fight. He described himself as a dynamic and athletic fighter and said he is most comfortable when a bout moves into fire and chaos. His stated plan is to remain cool, calm and collected before pressing an opening without hesitation. Those are Valentin’s own expectations for the matchup, not a prediction of its outcome, but they explain how he intends to approach another road assignment.
- Valentin earned a 20-second opening-bout win over Giannis Bachar on The Ultimate Fighter Season 32 before submitting Paddy McCorry in the semifinals.
- Valentin’s April victory over Julien Leblanc was his first UFC win and came after losses to Ryan Loder, Torrez Finney and Ateba Gautier.
| Confirmed point | Belgrade relevance |
|---|---|
| Robert Valentin record | He enters the August 1 contest with an 11-6 record and 10 finishes. |
| Corner setup | Dewey Cooper remains part of Valentin’s team, while Volkan Oezdemir replaces Mairon Santos in the corner. |
| Event setting | Valentin faces Dusko Todorovic on the main card at Belgrade Arena in Belgrade, Serbia. |
For Robert Valentin, the news in Belgrade is not simply that he is fighting away from home again. It is that he enters the event after finally breaking through for a UFC win, with a training arrangement he believes suits him and a record that reflects his finishing ability. He will meet Todorovic in the Serbian fighter’s hometown, a circumstance Valentin said he welcomes. After the pressure of his three-fight skid and the emotional significance of April, the next step is straightforward: bring the same focused approach to Belgrade and try to build on the result that changed the direction of his UFC run.
Sources: UFC.com
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