Darko Stosic in Zagreb: 'Losing Is Not an Option'
The Serbian MMA fighter challenges for the heavyweight title tonight at Zagreb Arena, on FNC 33, against unbeaten German Hatef Moeil.
Zagreb, the day before the fight, a room packed with reporters and cameras, and in front of the microphones sits a man who has chased a title for too long to fake calm now. Darko Stosic chooses his words carefully, but each one carries weight built up over years.
“It’s always so close, yet so far. I’ve always been within reach, but it never happened,” Stosic said at the pre-fight press conference for FNC 33 in Zagreb. “Everything is set up perfectly, and simply, losing is not an option.”
That sentence gets a concrete frame tonight. On Saturday, September 12, at Zagreb Arena, FNC 33 goes down: ten fights in total, and the main event puts Stosic and German fighter Hatef Moeil in the cage for the heavyweight title.
The Man Standing Between Stosic and the Belt
The numbers say this will not be a walk. Stosic enters with a 23-8 record, while Moeil carries a 17-4 mark, but with one detail that changes everything: the German has not lost since 2018. Croatian outlet Sportnet.hr goes further, putting his current run at 13 straight wins without a break.
Stosic does not hide his respect for that streak.
“It’s an absolutely fascinating result. Hats off to him, and I believe he’s motivated,” the Serbian fighter said, “but I’ve been waiting for this all year, and everything that happened led up to this. This is the ultimate goal.”
The two, as it happens, have shared a cage before. They first met back in 2015, at FFC 19 in the Austrian city of Linz, where Stosic won by stoppage in the second round. Ten and a half years later, the stakes look nothing alike: this time a title is on the line, not just a mark on the record.
A Fourth Title Shot, and a Rematch That Finally Happened
This is not Stosic’s first run at a belt, but it is the first time this particular matchup has actually happened on the date it was booked. The same fight was once on paper for FNC 23 at Belgrade Arena, on May 24, 2025, before it was scrapped due to a Stosic injury. Now, a year and a half later, the two finally meet under the lights.
By his own count, this is Stosic’s fourth career title shot: he chased a belt twice in the Polish promotion KSW, and this is his second attempt specifically in FNC. He is not hiding his game plan for tonight.
“It would be foolish to rush in and throw away all the preparation by fighting like it’s a bar brawl,” Stosic said. “I’ll start by seeing what opportunities open up, but I will definitely be looking to apply pressure. I believe I’ll fight a smart fight, but I’ll be looking for the finish.”
The Rest of the Card, and a Late Twist in the Middleweight Bout
The night’s co-main event is a light heavyweight fight, Croatian Ivan Erslan, who carries a 15-6 record, against Slovenian Miran Fabjan, who is 7-5. Fabjan had, at one point, been ready to walk away from the sport after a loss to Aleksandar Ilic, so his return to the cage, in a co-main event no less, is a story of its own.
In the middleweight division, meanwhile, a title changed hands without a single punch thrown. Djani Barbir, who entered with an 8-1 record, lost his belt for missing weight, coming in a kilogram over the limit. That opened up his spot against Polish fighter Piotr Strus, who is 17-10 with two draws, and organizer ufcalendar.com now lists that bout as a catchweight fight.
When and Where to Watch
Sources do not agree down to the minute on when the card actually starts. Some Croatian outlets report the fan zone beneath the arena opens at 6 PM, while the fight card itself, depending on the source, is set to start somewhere between 5 PM and 7 PM. Viewers in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Slovenia, and Montenegro can watch on the VOYO platform, while the rest of the world can catch the card on FNC.TV, on a pay-per-view basis.
By morning, it will be clear whether Stosic finally reached the title that, in his own words, has stayed within reach for years without ever landing in his hands. If Moeil’s run since 2018 ends tonight, it will be the biggest win for Serbian MMA this season.
