Marina Spasić Becomes First Serbian in UFC as Belgrade Debut Opens the Card

Marina Spasić will do something no fighter has done before: walk to the Octagon as the first Serbian in UFC history, and she'll do it in her own city. The 32-year-old strawweight opens Saturday's card in Belgrade with a 7-1 professional record and a finish rate that reads like a mission statement — 86 percent, six of those wins by knockout.

The timing is almost too clean. Belgrade Arena hosts the promotion's first-ever event on Serbian soil, and Spasić, born and raised in the city, gets the opening slot. She said she's been waiting years for this and intends to soak up every minute of fight week before the part she actually cares about — the fight itself.

From Kickboxing to the Cage

The path here follows a familiar template. Israel Adesanya, Alex Pereira and Valentina Shevchenko all built their names on the feet before translating it into MMA gold, and Spasić — nicknamed 'Maki Beki' — started in kickboxing back in 2016 before her manager pitched a full switch. She made the jump on the logic that MMA offered a longer career, turned pro in 2021, and by her own account never looked back.

It hasn't been a straight line. Last November she suffered her first loss, a decision in a regional bout in Slovenia she took on 10 days' notice. She got injured in sparring, refused to pull out, and lost a close one. She's described the aftermath honestly — three months of depression and thoughts of walking away entirely.

Instead she rebuilt. New coach, new physical trainer, new sponsor, new team, all in place by February. Her takeaway was blunt: sometimes you have to throw something out to get better, and if a piece isn't working, it's costing you the best version of yourself.

The Matchup

Standing across from her is Brazil's Stephanie Luciano, entering her fourth UFC appearance at 7-2-1 and chasing a second straight win. Luciano's last outing was a third-round rear-naked choke of Ravena Oliveira, and three of her seven career victories have come inside the distance — though she's more of a grappler on paper, with just two KOs to Spasić's six.

Spasić is selling it as a striker's showcase, promising fast, watchable action for a crowd that's expected to be deafening. She's already visualized the finish line: the arena screaming her name after the biggest win of her life. Whether the debut goes her way or not, she's guaranteed a footnote in the record books before the walk even starts.