Bojan Velickovic

Bojan Velickovic is a Serbian mixed martial artist who carved out a long career spanning regional circuits, the UFC, and ultimately found his peak on the European stage. Born and raised in Novi Sad, Serbia, he began training in judo at age ten before adding Muay Thai at fourteen and eventually combining those disciplines with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to become a well-rounded grappler. Over his professional run since 2010, Velickovic compiled a 15-6-1 record, establishing himself as a submission specialist (53% of his wins came by submission) while maintaining an impressive 14-2 striking record in Muay Thai.

His career peaked in regional promotions: he won the RFA Welterweight Championship in 2014 before signing with the UFC in 2016 at age 27. However, his UFC tenure (2016-2017) proved challenging. A majority draw with Michael Graves at UFC 201 was followed by decision losses to rising welterweights Darren Till and Jake Matthews, and he was released after his fourth promotional fight. Rather than fade away, Velickovic joined the PFL for their inaugural season, then signed with Oktagon MMA, where he flourished.

In Oktagon, Velickovic captured the promotion's biggest prize: the 16-man Welterweight Tournament in December 2023, defeating Andreas Michailidis via rear-naked choke in the final to claim a 300,000 euro purse. This late-career achievement restored his reputation as one of Europe's premier welterweights. His career ended in June 2025 when he tore his hamstring during his comeback fight at Oktagon 72, but he exited with grace, refusing a stretcher and publicly thanking his opponent and the crowd, epitomizing the respect he earned throughout his journey.