FBThe Fight Brief
Women's BantamweightPrelims · 10:00 AM ET

Nina Nikolija Milošević vs. Hailey Cowan

UFC Fight Night · August 1, 2026 · Belgrade Arena

Result

Nina Nikolija Milošević def. Hailey Cowan TKO (punch to the body), R1 3:41

Cowan actually looked sharp early, landing at range with no visible hangover from her April knockout loss. But Milošević found her rhythm and went to the body — a straight right hand to the solar plexus buckled Cowan at 3:41, and a second identical body shot sent her crashing down for the TKO. The pre-fight read said Milošević would hurt Cowan on the feet before the wrestling ever became a factor, and that's precisely what happened. A Performance of the Night bonus in her UFC debut, in front of her home crowd.

The breakdown below was written before the fight.

What kind of fight is this?Prospect vs. gatekeeperFinish likelihood: High

Milošević's fast starts are the story here. Cowan has been stopped in two straight and her striking defense has always been leaky, while the Serbian has been finishing people inside a round on the regional scene. Cowan's best route is a takedown-heavy grind, but her 42 percent takedown accuracy means she has to work for every entry. Expect Milošević to hurt her on the feet before the wrestling ever becomes a factor. The home crowd in Belgrade probably doesn't have to wait long.

The Matchup

Nina Nikolija Milošević
Fast-Start Finisher
IMMAF pedigreeFirst-round pressureBack-take threat
GrapplingStriking
Hailey Cowan
Southpaw Grinder
Clinch wrestlingTakedown chainsVeteran toughness
GrapplingStriking

This is a classic hometown-prospect-versus-proven-tester booking. Milošević wants a firefight early — almost all of her recent wins ended inside one round, and she pressures hard from the opening bell. Cowan's path is the opposite: weather the storm, tie things up in the clinch, and drag the debutant into deep water where octagon experience matters. The catch is that Cowan absorbs almost as much as she lands on the feet, and standing in the pocket with a fresh, violent finisher is a dangerous plan. If Cowan can't get her wrestling going early, this could get ugly fast.

Tale of the Tape

Nina Nikolija MiloševićHailey Cowan
8-1Record7-5
29Age34
5'5"Height5'8"
67"Reach67"
OrthodoxStanceSouthpaw
SerbiaCountryUnited States
Family Fight TeamTeamBlitz MMA

The Numbers

Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.

Nina Nikolija MiloševićHailey Cowan
Sig. strikes landed / min (volume)2.66
Striking accuracy (precision)43%
Sig. strikes absorbed / min (lower is better)2.92
Striking defense (strikes avoided)40%
Takedowns / 15 min (wrestling offense)1.95
Takedown accuracy42%
Takedown defense80%
Submission attempts / 15 min0

Nina Nikolija Milošević

Queen Beast

Nina Nikolija Milošević is a Serbian bantamweight who built her game the hard way — winning two IMMAF world championships as an amateur before turning pro. Now training out of Family Fight Team in Sydney, she has ripped off eight straight wins since her lone pro loss in 2023, five of them by stoppage. She mixes heavy hands with a dangerous rear-naked choke, and most of her recent fights haven't made it out of the first round. She arrives in Belgrade as the local headline act of the prelims, making her UFC debut in front of a home crowd.

How they win
3 KO/TKO2 SUB3 DEC
Last 3 fights
  • WDina Osman · Decision (unanimous)BRAVE CF 104 · February 14, 2026
  • WDesi Rahayu · TKO (punch)Jez Premier Promotions: Fight Night 2 · July 5, 2025
  • WSandra Succar · TKO (punches)WAR MMA 6 · June 14, 2025

Hailey Cowan

All Hail

Hailey Cowan is a Texas-bred former college cheerleader turned pro fighter who came up through LFA and Invicta FC before earning her UFC deal with a decision win on the Contender Series in 2022. The 34-year-old southpaw leans on clinch wrestling and takedowns, with a stout 80 percent takedown defense of her own. Her UFC run has been unkind — three straight losses to Jamey-Lyn Horth, Nora Cornolle and Alice Pereira — putting her in a must-win spot in Belgrade. She's at her best when she can slow fights down and grind on the fence.

How they win
2 KO/TKO2 SUB3 DEC
Last 3 fights
  • LAlice Pereira · KO/TKO (knee)UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Duncan · April 4, 2026
  • LNora Cornolle · Submission (rear-naked choke)UFC 314 · April 12, 2025
  • LJamey-Lyn Horth · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Simon · April 29, 2023