Forgač opened the door to a quick rematch: Barbir and Ilić could return to the octagon as early as September
Dražen Forgač, the head of Fight Nation Championship, has opened the possibility that Đani Barbir and Aleksandar “Joker” Ilić could enter the octagon again as early as September, only a few months after their first clash in Belgrade. Such an outcome has not yet been officially confirmed as an agreed bout, but after FNC 31 it became one of the most interesting topics on the regional MMA scene. The reason is simple: in the main fight of the evening, Barbir defended the FNC middleweight belt and forced Ilić to submit already in the first round, giving one of the longest-built regional rivalries a conclusion that simultaneously closes and opens the story. According to FNC’s official event announcement, the duel was organized as a middleweight title fight, while Sherdog records in its results that Barbir won by armbar after 2 minutes and 40 seconds of the first round. Under such circumstances, the announcement of a possible rematch comes not only as a sporting question, but also as a decision that could bring FNC another major regional event.
For now, the rematch is a possibility, not a confirmed agreement
The key difference at this stage is that the September date is being discussed as a possible direction, not as an officially scheduled bout. According to the available information, by 31 May 2026 FNC had not published a complete announcement of a new Barbir-Ilić fight, nor had the location, contractual terms and belt status in a potential second meeting been publicly confirmed. Forgač’s message is nevertheless important because it comes immediately after an event that showed the rivalry between the two fighters carries both sporting and promotional weight. For an organization that in recent years has relied on major arena events, clearly built regional stories and fighters with recognizable local fan bases, a quick rematch could be a logical business and sporting move. At the same time, the decision would have to depend on the fighters’ health after the match, the readiness of both camps, FNC’s calendar and the assessment of whether the middleweight division meanwhile has other legitimate challengers.
September would, if such a plan is indeed confirmed, bring Barbir an exceptionally short cycle between a major belt defense and a new high-pressure fight. That would mean the current champion would not have a long break after the most important victory of his career, but would almost immediately have to enter preparations again for the same opponent. For Ilić, such a date would carry a different weight: it would give him a chance to quickly repair the impression after a defeat in front of a large crowd in Belgrade and to show that the first outcome is not the final picture of the balance of power. Precisely for that reason, however, FNC is expected, before any official announcement, to clearly define the sporting logic of the rematch. Barbir finished the first fight convincingly, but Ilić had enough good moments in the opening stages for the promotion to build a narrative about a new attempt and adjustments in the second fight.
Barbir survived early pressure in Belgrade and finished the match with an armbar
The first duel between the two fighters was held on 30 May 2026 at the FNC 31 event in Belgrade Arena, that is, Štark Arena, where Barbir defended the middleweight title against Ilić. According to Fight Site’s report from the event, the beginning of the fight was not one-sided: Ilić landed on the feet, managed to take Barbir down and opened an early sequence of pressure on the ground. Barbir, however, managed to escape the uncomfortable position, survive the initial rush and return to the fight through a series of transitions. Later in the round he hit Ilić, shifted the fight in a direction that suited him more and began creating his own pressure. Sherdog lists Barbir’s victory in its database as an official result by submission, namely an armbar, in the first round after 2:40, with which Barbir recorded his eighth professional MMA victory and retained champion status.
Such a finish has several important consequences. First, in a fight against a more experienced and publicly highly exposed opponent, Barbir showed that he can remain calm when a match starts unfavorably. Second, the armbar finish confirms that his value does not lie only in physical strength or explosiveness, but also in the ability to find a technical solution in chaotic transitions. Third, a victory in an away atmosphere additionally raises his status within FNC, because he defended the title on an evening in which much of the atmosphere was directed toward the home challenger. According to Fight Site, after the victory Barbir achieved the biggest triumph of his professional career, and the fight itself was described as a meeting with multiple reversals and transitions. For FNC, this is ideal material for further promotion, but for the middleweight division it simultaneously opens the question of who can seriously threaten the champion through sporting results.
The rivalry did not arise in fight week
Barbir and Ilić did not enter FNC 31 as a randomly matched champion and challenger. According to FNC’s official announcement, their clash was presented as a long-awaited meeting in which the rivalry had been built through years of callouts, failed agreements and public messages. Fight Site reported before the event that Barbir and Ilić participated in a special FACE OFF format moderated by Forgač, and that the fighters there spoke openly about earlier attempts to arrange the match, callouts and mutual grievances. In that exchange, according to the same source, Barbir emphasized that earlier belt defenses had fallen through through no fault of his own, while Ilić rejected claims that he had avoided the fight. Such a background is important for understanding why, after one completed match, there is immediate talk of another. The sporting result is clear, but the emotional and promotional capital of the rivalry was not spent in one round.
During fight week, their face-off also drew additional attention. Fight Site described the face-to-face encounter as one of the more intense in FNC history, with a prolonged stare without the usual quick interruption and without a friendly ending. Such details do not decide the winner, but in professional combat sports they influence audience interest and the way the event is sold. In Belgrade, FNC got the atmosphere of a major derby, not only a technically high-quality title match. That is why a potential rematch has a different status from a usual belt defense: it would be the continuation of a story that has already gained recognizable characters, clear tension and a result that one side can use as confirmation and the other as motivation for redemption. It is precisely in that combination of sporting outcome and unfinished public dynamic that the greatest value of the second meeting lies.
For Barbir, the victory changes his position after his excursion toward the UFC
Barbir’s victory in Belgrade is especially important because it comes after a demanding period in his career. In September 2025, he appeared on Dana White’s Contender Series in Las Vegas, where he tried to earn a path toward the UFC, but lost to Mantas Kondratavičius. According to results published by Sherdog and MMA Fighting, Kondratavičius then won by stoppage in the first round, and that defeat was the first major blow to Barbir’s previously upward professional trajectory. The return to FNC and the belt defense against Ilić were therefore not just another appearance in front of the regional audience, but a test of psychological and sporting recovery. In Belgrade, Barbir showed that a defeat on the international scene had not interrupted his development, and the way he finished the fight additionally restores his negotiating and competitive weight in the middleweight division.
According to FNC’s official fighter page, before the match with Ilić Barbir had a record of 7-1 in professional MMA and 5-0 in FNC, while after the Belgrade victory Sherdog updated his professional record to 8-1. These data show that Barbir is still in a phase of his career in which every major victory significantly changes his status. He does not have dozens of professional appearances, but he has a title, finishes in FNC and now a victory over one of the best-known regional names. That makes him a fighter around whom FNC can build the middleweight division, but at the same time it also creates pressure for every next opponent to be sufficiently relevant. If the rematch with Ilić is confirmed, Barbir will enter it as the fighter who settled the first duel before the end of the first round, so a new confirmation of dominance would be expected from him, not merely the defense of a minimal advantage.
Ilić’s motivation for a second match would be a quick return after a heavy defeat
Aleksandar Ilić entered Belgrade as a challenger with great experience and strong recognition in the region. According to FNC’s official data before the fight, he had a professional record of 18-7, while Sherdog lists 18-8 after FNC 31. The defeat to Barbir is especially painful for him because it happened in the main fight of the evening, in an atmosphere in which he had considerable crowd support and in a duel that had long been publicly built up. But unlike a prolonged defeat over five rounds, this kind of outcome leaves room for the claim that one moment in the first round broke the match. Ilić’s camp, if the rematch happens, would probably emphasize that the challenger in the early phase of the fight managed to land, take down and pressure the champion, but that he failed to control the chaos after the transition.
That is also the main sporting argument for the second match. Barbir won cleanly and without judging controversy, but the flow of the fight was not static. Ilić had enough initial initiative to be able to believe that with different decisions on the ground, a more cautious exit from exchanges or better control of position, he could extend the fight and bring it into his own rhythm. On the other hand, Barbir showed champion quality precisely in those moments: he survived the pressure, did not waste energy in panic and punished his opponent as soon as the opportunity opened. The rematch would therefore be interesting not only because of names and emotions, but also because of the question of adjustments. Ilić would have to prove that he can maintain control after a good start, while Barbir would have to show that the first victory was not the product of one situation, but confirmation of broader technical superiority.
For FNC, a September date could be the continuation of major regional momentum
FNC 31 was not an isolated event, but part of a broader promotional strategy that builds major arena shows and combines belt fights with names that attract regional attention. FNC’s official event announcement highlighted Barbir-Ilić as the central clash, alongside matches such as Kamil Kraska against Ivica Trušček for the welterweight belt and Darko Stošić’s appearance against Greg Hardy. Sherdog confirms in the results that the program had several important fights, including title matches and a high-profile heavyweight clash. In such a context, a possible September rematch would serve as a continuation of the same model: a recognizable main match, clear regional tension and a sporting stake that is easy to understand. FNC would thereby maintain audience interest after the Belgrade event and further strengthen the middleweight division as one of the most visible in the organization.
But there is also a sporting risk. If the promotion organizes a rematch too quickly after a clear defeat of the challenger, part of the audience may ask whether other candidates in the division are being skipped. That is why FNC would have to clearly explain why Ilić is immediately getting a new opportunity, especially if the belt would again be at stake. One argument is commercial interest, another is the intensity of the rivalry, and the third is the fact that the first match, although quickly finished, had enough dynamic moments to leave room for a different tactical scenario. Still, in professional sport, the credibility of the rankings is in the long term as important as the attractiveness of an individual duel. If the rematch is agreed, it will be important to present it as a sportingly justified continuation, and not merely as a repetition of a match that ended with a convincing victory for the champion.
What has to happen before official confirmation
Before a possible September duel becomes official, several concrete issues need to be resolved. The first is the health condition of both fighters after FNC 31, because quick returns are possible only if there are no medical obstacles and more serious injuries. The second is the question of the weight class and belt status: considering that the first match was for FNC’s middleweight title, it is logical to assume that the rematch would also have a championship character, but that has not been confirmed. The third is the question of location, because the choice of city would significantly influence the dramaturgy of the event. After Belgrade, the organization could consider more neutral ground, a new major appearance in Croatia or a return to Serbia, but for now there has been no official announcement about that. The fourth is the question of the rest of the program, because a Barbir-Ilić fight can carry the event by itself, but FNC’s major events as a rule require several strong fights on the same card.
Until then, the only firm fact remains the outcome of the first match. Barbir defended the belt in Belgrade, defeated Ilić by submission in the first round and cemented himself as one of the key fighters in FNC’s middleweight division. Ilić lost, but because of his status, experience and the way the rivalry was built, he remains a big enough name that his quick return to the same story would not be a surprise. Forgač’s possibility of a September rematch will therefore in the coming weeks be a test of FNC’s balance between sporting order and promotional instinct. If the plan is confirmed, Barbir will very quickly get a chance to prove once again that the victory in Belgrade was a confirmation of dominance, and Ilić a chance to change, on the second attempt, the narrative that the first round of FNC 31 strongly directed toward the current champion.
Sources:
- Sherdog – results of the FNC 31 event, outcome of the Barbir vs. Ilić fight and official data on the method, round and finish time (link)
- Fight Nation Championship – official fight page for Đani Barbir against Aleksandar Ilić at the FNC 31 event in Belgrade (link)
- Fight Nation Championship – official event announcement and context of title fights in the middleweight and welterweight divisions (link)
- Fight Site / Jutarnji list – fight report, description of the course of the match and Barbir’s title defense in Belgrade (link)
- Fight Site / Jutarnji list – report on the FACE OFF show and the public context of the Barbir-Ilić rivalry before FNC 31 (link)
- Fight Site / Jutarnji list – report on the intense face-off between Barbir and Ilić before the Belgrade event (link)
- Sherdog – data on Barbir’s appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series 2025 and defeat to Mantas Kondratavičius (link)