The fight itself is real. The announcement just has not caught up yet.
A lightweight heavyweight bout between Oleksandr Gvozdyk and Radivoje Kalajdzic has been finalized for the February 1 Paramount+ card on the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, in accordance with veteran boxing reporter Dan Rafael. It has not been formally unveiled, however the bout is finished.
That quiet rollout suits the matchup. This is just not a headline fight. It’s a chunk of infrastructure.
Gvozdyk enters as a former WBC champion trying to seek out his exact place again at 175. Since coming back from retirement, the Ukrainian southpaw has been positioned rigorously. He remains to be sharp. Still disciplined. Still able to controlling space together with his jab and timing. What he has not done yet is force the division to react to him.
Kalajdzic arrives from a special angle. The Serbian puncher was unbeaten until his April 2024 stoppage loss to David Morrell. That fight clarified things. Kalajdzic can crack. He can press. But when forced to fight at elite speed, he struggled to maintain order. This bout is his likelihood to indicate that the Morrell loss was a lesson moderately than a ceiling.
The pairing is smart since it answers quiet questions for each men. For Gvozdyk, it tests durability and urgency against a fighter who won’t wait. For Kalajdzic, it tests composure against a technician who has already lived at championship level.
The fight is slated for a Paramount+ card promoted by Zuffa, a part of a continued effort to construct boxing depth around Apex events moderately than chase spectacle.
Rafael acknowledged the shortage of ceremony when discussing the bout online, saying it’s “not formally announced but that may be a fight that’s made.”
That line says enough. This is just not a showcase. It’s a sorting fight. And at light heavyweight, those still mean something.
Click here to subscribe to our FREE newsletter
Related Boxing News:
Last Updated on 01/14/2026