Jakob Nedoh won the FNC light heavyweight title with a split decision over Matej Batinic, and his first FNC title defence is a rematch: Tom Breese, the man who submitted him with a heel hook in 2025, gets the shot at FNC 36 in Rijeka on Saturday, 19 December 2026. The event starts at 18:00 GMT (19:00 CET).
Finishes rule this division. In the past 12 months only two FNC light heavyweight fights in our database went to the judges, and one of them was Nedoh's title win.
FNC light heavyweight rankings
Nedoh sits on top at 10-4-0, aged 30, with 9 of his 10 wins by finish (90%). Behind him the list runs deep in Croatian and Slovenian names, with a Pole, a Serb, a Briton, a Bulgarian and a Bosnian mixed in.
| Rank | Fighter | Country | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Jakob Nedoh | Slovenia | 10-4-0 |
| 1 | Matej Batinic | Croatia | 19-6-0 |
| 2 | Miran Fabjan | Slovenia | 8-5-0 |
| 3 | Ivan Erslan | Croatia | 15-7-0 (1 NC) |
| 4 | Bartlomiej Gladkowicz | Poland | 12-5-0 |
| 5 | Aleksandar Ilic | Serbia | 18-8-0 |
| 6 | Tom Breese | United Kingdom | 21-7-0 |
| 7 | Tiriel Luka Abramovic | Croatia | 5-0-0 |
| 8 | Valeri Atanasov | Bulgaria | 3-2-0 |
| 9 | Tomislav Spahovic | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 11-9-0 |
| 10 | Andres Ramos | Slovenia | 6-4-0 |
These are the FNC light heavyweight rankings as last updated on 4 November 2026.
A rematch for the title
Breese and Nedoh met at FNC 22 on 12 April 2025, and Breese won it with a heel hook at 1:39 of the first round. Both men's paths since then explain why they meet again with the belt on the line.
Nedoh answered that loss with two wins: a second-round TKO of Lucas Alsina at FNC on 4 October 2025, then the title. The belt changed hands at FNC 29 on 11 April 2026, when Nedoh beat Batinic by split decision after five rounds. It was the division's only title fight in the past 12 months. Batinic, 34, still holds the number one spot at 19-6-0, but he is not the one booked for the next challenge.
That goes to Breese. The 35-year-old Briton is 21-7-0 and ranked sixth, yet he gets the title shot ahead of the fighters ranked first to fifth. He lost to Emiliano Sordi by rear-naked choke at FNC 25 in November 2025, then submitted Marcin Prachnio with a rear-naked choke in 1:06 of the first round at FNC 32 on 20 June 2026. Breese has finished 19 of his 21 wins (90%), the same rate as Nedoh.
Recent FNC light heavyweight results
| Date | Event | Bout | Winner | Method | Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Oct 2026 | FNC 34 | Marko Trajanovski vs Luka Lainovic | Luka Lainovic | KO (body kick) | 1 (0:55) |
| 12 Sep 2026 | FNC 33 | Ivan Erslan vs Miran Fabjan | Miran Fabjan | TKO (punches) | 1 (3:18) |
| 12 Sep 2026 | FNC 33 | Tiriel Luka Abramovic vs Valeri Atanasov | Tiriel Luka Abramovic | TKO (leg injury) | 2 (3:37) |
| 20 Jun 2026 | FNC 32 | Mario Zgela vs Deni Mirnic | Mario Zgela | TKO (elbows) | 1 (2:07) |
| 20 Jun 2026 | FNC 32 | Marcin Prachnio vs Tom Breese | Tom Breese | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 (1:06) |
| 30 May 2026 | FNC 31 | Tomislav Spahovic vs Valeri Atanasov | Valeri Atanasov | Decision (unanimous) | 3 (5:00) |
| 11 Apr 2026 | FNC 29 | Matej Batinic vs Jakob Nedoh | Jakob Nedoh | Decision (split, title fight) | 5 (5:00) |
| 11 Apr 2026 | FNC 29 | Andres Ramos vs Bartlomiej Gladkowicz | Bartlomiej Gladkowicz | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 2 (5:00) |
| 28 Feb 2026 | FNC 28 | Lucas Alsina vs Tiriel Luka Abramovic | Tiriel Luka Abramovic | TKO | 2 (5:00) |
| 7 Feb 2026 | FNC 27 | Miran Fabjan vs Aleksandar Ilic | Aleksandar Ilic | KO (punches) | 1 (0:24) |
Round one dominates. Miran Fabjan stopped Erslan with punches at 3:18 of the first round, which matters because Fabjan is the oldest man in the top ten at 41 and has finished all eight of his wins. Earlier in the year, on 7 February 2026, Aleksandar Ilic knocked him out in 0:24 at FNC 27, so Fabjan has been on both ends of the division's quick endings.
Tiriel Luka Abramovic is the other story. At 25 he is the youngest ranked fighter, unbeaten at 5-0-0 with five stoppages, and he beat Atanasov by TKO from a leg injury in round two. The only decisions on the list are Nedoh's title win and Atanasov's unanimous decision over Spahovic at FNC 31.
What is booked at FNC 36
FNC 36 takes place in Rijeka, Croatia, on 19 December 2026, and three fights are confirmed so far:
- Jakob Nedoh vs. Tom Breese, light heavyweight title (main event)
- Kamil Kraska vs. Laureano Staropoli, welterweight title (co-main event)
- Tiriel Luka Abramovic vs. Bartlomiej Gladkowicz, light heavyweight
Bartlomiej Gladkowicz is 30, ranked fourth and 12-5-0 and comes in on a three-fight win streak, including a rear-naked choke win over Andres Ramos at FNC 29. Abramovic has finished all five of his wins, against 8 of 12 (67%) for Gladkowicz.
Batinic, Fabjan and Erslan, the top three behind the champion, are waiting to see who leaves FNC 36 with the belt.
Who wins Nedoh vs. Breese 2? Make your free pick for every FNC 36 fight in the Pugna MMA app and follow the results live, round by round. No money involved.
This article was generated with AI and may contain errors.