Bogdan Grad returned to the win column in dramatic fashion, although not without controversy.

The Romanian featherweight snapped his two-fight skid at UFC Belgrade by securing a second-round submission victory over Dennis Buzukja in a finish, though the referee’s decision overshadowed the victory.

The Unleashed” wasted little time implementing his wrestling, scoring an early takedown before repeatedly forcing Buzukja into clinch exchanges against the fence. While “The Great” consistently worked back to his feet and found success with crisp jabs, uppercuts, and body shots, Grad remained relentless with his pressure, mixing in takedown attempts and threatening from dominant positions on the mat throughout the opening round.

The momentum shifted back and forth in the second frame as Buzukja defended several of Grad’s wrestling entries while enjoying his best striking moments of the fight. However, Grad stayed persistent and eventually secured another takedown late in the round before transitioning to an arm-triangle choke.

As Grad tightened the arm-triangle choke late in the round, referee Jason Herzog stepped in to wave off the contest at the 4:33 mark, believing Buzukja had tapped. “The Great” protested the stoppage, and replays appeared to raise questions over whether he had actually submitted. Despite the controversy, the result stood.

The victory improved Bogdan Grad to 2-2 inside the UFC while ending his two-fight losing streak. Meanwhile, Buzukja’s difficult run continued as he fell to 1-6 in the promotion.

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – FEBRUARY 01: Bogdan Grad of Romania punches Lucas Alexander of Brazil in a featherweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at anb Arena on February 01, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)