MMA – NIKOLA Joksovic returns home with everything to lose when BRAVE CF 104 takes place at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade, Serbia, on Saturday.
Sixteen wins, no defeats, and the pressure of expectation will follow him into the cage when he faces Brazil’s seasoned finisher Luciano Palhano.
Joksovic has looked untouchable so far. But an undefeated record, as history has shown, only grows heavier with every fight.
“Records don’t win fights, performances do,” the Serbian rising star said. “I know what’s at stake. I’m ready for the toughest test of my career.”
Fighting out of Novi Sad, the 31-year-old has built his reputation on control and precision. A former Fight Nation Championship welterweight champion and widely regarded as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the Balkans, he rarely wastes movement, rarely chases, and rarely lets opponents escape once he senses weakness.
However, fighting at home brings a different kind of pressure. Across from him is a man who has seen it all before.
Palhano does not care about unbeaten streaks. He has fought in hostile territory, survived chaotic battles, and turned dangerous situations into victories.
With 20 wins and 14 finishes, the Brazilian has long been respected as one of the most complete super welterweights from his country.
A highly touted Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Palhano thrives where bouts become messy and unpredictable.
“I’ve fought fighters with hype, records, and crowds behind them,” Palhano stated. “When the cage closes, none of that matters. Only who adapts, who stays calm, and who wants it more.”
Palhano’s strength lies in transitions, scrambles, and his ability to find endings when opponents make mistakes. Against an aggressive finisher like Joksovic, one mistake could decide everything.
For Joksovic, this encounter is about proving that his dominance can hold against a veteran who refuses to break.
But for Palhano, it is the opportunity to derail one of Europe’s rising names and remind the division that experience still carries weight.
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