Brando Peričić (born August 3, 1994) is an Australian professional mixed martial artist of Croatian descent. Nicknamed "The Balkan Bear", he competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of June 16, 2026, he is #14 in the UFC heavyweight rankings.[1]
| Brando Peričić | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 3, 1994 Semaphore, South Australia |
| Other names | The Balkan Bear |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) |
| Weight | 265 lb (120 kg; 18 st 13 lb) |
| Division | Heavyweight |
| Reach | 79.5 in (202 cm) |
| Years active | 2018–present (MMA) |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 8 |
| Wins | 7 |
| By knockout | 6 |
| By submission | 1 |
| Losses | 1 |
| By submission | 1 |
Early life
editPeričić was born on August 3, 1994, in Semaphore, South Australia, to Croatian parents.[2] As a fighter, he has received the nickname "The Balkan Bear" (Croatian: Balkanski Medvjed)[3] due to his ancestry.[4] He grew up in Adelaide, where he attended St Michael's College.[5] Peričić competed in Australian rules football and rugby union before a hand injury stopped his career.[5] Prior to becoming a fighter, he worked in construction security and debt collection.[2]
Mixed martial arts career
editPeričić became interested in mixed martial arts (MMA) as his mother was trained in the sport by Sifu Jo Ip, considered an Adelaide martial arts "pioneer".[5] He only began concentrating on the sport in his mid-20s.[5] In 2018, Peričić battled cancer and nearly required an amputation of his arm, but recovered.[4]
Peričić began his MMA career as an amateur, winning his first two fights under the Diamondback Fighting Championship (DFC) promotion in 2018, both by knockout in the first round.[6] He had his first professional fight in 2019 with the DFC, defeating Ricky Biechun by technical knockout (TKO) in the first round on November 3, 2019.[6] He then went five years before his next professional fight.[6] UFC.com noted that, "in one remarkable run, five booked matchups fell through due to injury, opponent withdrawals, and the global pandemic".[7]
Peričić, due to difficulty securing further MMA fights, began kickboxing professionally.[2] In 2022, he moved to Auckland, New Zealand, to become a member of the club City Kickboxing.[5] He lived in a van by the gym and kept "a gruelling training schedule of up to six hours a day [while using] the gym's facilities to wash and cook", according to The Advertiser.[5] At City Kickboxing, he became friends with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter Israel Adesanya.[5] Adesanya later had Peričić help him train for a fight against Alex Pereira.[8]
Peričić made his return to professional MMA in 2024, defeating Kelvin Fitial on April 20, 2024, by submission, under the Shuriken Fight Series promotion.[6] After a loss by submission to Randall Rayment with the Hex Fight Series on May 4, 2024, Peričić won his last two fights of the year with first-round TKOs, the first being in the Stealth Fighters League and the second in the Supremacy Fighting Championship.[6] He signed a Ultimate Fighting Championship contract in August 2025 and then made his promotional debut the following month.[9] Facing off against Elisha Ellison at UFC Fight Night 260, Peričić won by knockout within the first two minutes and earned a $50,000 bonus for having the Performance of the Night.[10]
At UFC Fight Night 270, on March 21, 2026, Peričić made his second UFC appearance, defeating Louie Sutherland by TKO 1 minute, 48 seconds into the fight.[11] He later faced off against Shamil Gaziev on May 2, 2026, at UFC Fight Night 275, winning with a second-round knockout while receiving a $100,000 bonus for the Fight of the Night.[12][13] After his win, he entered the top 15 of the UFC heavyweight rankings.[2]
References
edit- ↑ "UFC Rankings". Ultimate Fighting Championship. Archived from the original on February 28, 2026. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Brando Peričić". Ultimate Fighting Championship. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
- ↑ Barbić, Andrej (29 April 2026). "'Balkanski Medvjed' poslao jasnu poruku Dani Whiteu: 'Ne možete održati priredbu u Srbiji bez mene!'" [‘Balkan Bear’ sends clear message to Dana White: ‘You can’t hold an event in Serbia without me!’]. Jutarnji list (in Croatian).
- 1 2 Kralj, Issa (2 May 2026). "Tko je Brando Peričić? Zbog raka umalo izgubio ruku, utjerivao i dugove, danas briljira u UFC-u" [Who is Brando Peričić? He almost lost his arm to cancer, he also collected debts, he is now excelling in the UFC]. 24sata (in Croatian).
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Meet UFC star, Brando Pericic who rejects 'silk sheets' for a van to stay hungry for victory". The Advertiser. May 2, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Brando "The Balkan Bear" Pericic". Sherdog. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
- ↑ Head, Simon (April 26, 2026). "Brando Pericic Is A Man In A Hurry". Ultimate Fighting Championship.
- ↑ Reive, Christopher (September 21, 2025). "UFC Perth: Brando Peričić on Israel Adesanya influence and rocky road to MMA's pinnacle". The New Zealand Herald.
- ↑ Pocrnic, Matt (August 20, 2025). "UFC Signs Croatian Heavyweight Brando "The Balkan Bear" Peričić". CroatianSports.com.
- ↑ "'Balkanski Medvjed' dugo će pamtiti svoj UFC debi: Nagrađen je s dodatnih 50 tisuća dolara!" [‘The Balkan Bear’ will remember his UFC debut for a long time: He was awarded an additional $50,000!]. Jutarnji list (in Croatian). 28 September 2025.
- ↑ Jocić, Stefan (21 March 2026). ""Balkanski medved" brutalno prebio Engleza i upisao drugu pobedu u UFC-u" ["Balkan Bear" brutally beats Englishman and records second UFC victory]. Telegraf.rs (in Bosnian).
- ↑ Erickson, Matt (May 3, 2026). "Is Brando Pericic UFC's next heavyweight star? 'I'm here to f*cking throw down'". USA Today.
- ↑ "Vrtoglava cifra: Pogledajte koliko je zaradio "Balkanski medvjed" nakon pobjede u UFC-u" [A staggering figure: See how much the “Balkan Bear” earned after his UFC victory]. Dnevni avaz (in Bosnian). 2 May 2026.