Athletes
Volkan Oezdemir Is Ready To Re-Enter The Title Fray
When It Comes To Making A Run Towards The Light Heavyweight Title, There’s No Time Like The Present For “No Time”.
Volkan Oezdemir is traveling the world in a bid to earn himself a second shot at the undisputed UFC light heavyweight title.
Since joining the UFC’s light heavyweight roster in 2017, Oezdemir has competed in the United States, Sweden, Canada, England, Uruguay, South Korea, UAE, and Paris. Now, Oezdemir’s globe-trotting quest continues this weekend in Saudi Arabia when he takes on Johnny Walker in Riyadh.
For the Swiss contender, who unsuccessfully challenged Daniel Cormier for the 205-pound title at UFC 220 back in January 2018, getting to travel is one of the perks of the job, but he’s always careful to keep the balance right when fight week rolls around.
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“The more the fight is getting closer, the more tunnel vision I get,” he told UFC.com ahead of his fight this weekend.
“But of course, I try to enjoy a little bit of the culture and everything. We’ve been a few days now in Saudi Arabia, and we’ve been visiting a lot, and we had some locals helping us, as well, so it’s really great. It’s always great for me to be able to get more of my surroundings.”
Oezdemir is always a chilled-out character, and being at ease with his situation can’t have been hurt by his last performance inside the Octagon. After suffering the disappointment of a decision loss to Nikita Krylov at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi, Oezdemir returned 11 months later in Paris, France, and handed Uzbek finisher Bogdan Guskov the first submission defeat of his career with a first-round rear-naked choke.
It was only the second submission victory of Oezdemir’s career, and his first in the UFC, and it’s given him a real lift ahead of his bout with Walker this weekend.
“My last fight was a great win, so it’s always good to enjoy life with a great submission like that,” he said.
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“It also gave me a boost of confidence for what’s coming with my techniques, my technical stuff in my training. So, it’s rolling on.
“It felt good, because I’ve been working on my ground stuff for a while, and it finally came to fruition. It’s a blessing. I can’t wait to show more of it.”
Oezdemir has always been among the UFC’s top 205-pounders, and while he has experienced a mixture of wins and losses in recent years, he’s always found a way to bounce back. When asked what it was that motivated him to keep going and keep grinding, his answer was as straightforward as the Swiss himself.
“For me, it’s only one thing. It’s the UFC belt,” he stated.
"That’s the only thing that really matters – that’s my goal. So it doesn’t matter what’s coming in front of me, the goal remains the same."
Oezdemir’s ongoing quest to get back to a title shot continues this weekend in Saudi Arabia, where he’ll take on Brazil’s Walker in a matchup that pits two knockout artists with very different approaches head-to-head
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While, on paper, it suggests a fascinating clash of styles for the fans, for Oezdemir it’s the differences in their games that offer him the path to victory, as he plans on using the Brazilian’s looser fighting style against him.
“It doesn’t really matter for me, him being wild or whatever, because he’s going to go into my game,” he said.
“It’s going to be my structure, my game, my plan, my style. I train with great guys that also have the same length, the same physical attributes, so this has really helped me, as well.
“I’m definitely a more patient and composed guy when it comes to striking. He’s more wild. I think I will be more methodical, and that is what’s going to annihilate his craziness.
“Johnny Walker is a big name, as well. A nice knockout against him, I think I’m one fight away from a title shot.”
It’s also a well-timed chance for Oezdemir to showcase his skills, with the division’s top two fighters – champion Alex Pereira and former champ Jiri Prochazka – set to face off for the second time in the main event of UFC 303.
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Both men have received plenty of plaudits for stepping up to compete against each other on short notice at the end of the month, and Oezdemir added his name to that list.
“It’s great, because we need to see excitement in the division, and now a fight like this, on two weeks’ notice, it’s actually great to see. It’s really good when things happen quick. I like that mentality, of course. You know, ’No Time,’ so it’s really great to see this.”
With the spotlight now shining on the light heavyweight division, Oezdemir plans on scoring an attention-grabbing win over Walker to put himself in the frame for a shot at the title later this year. And, whether it’s the opportunity of a fresh challenge against Pereira, or a revenge mission against Prochazka, who defeated him via second-round knockout at UFC 251, Oezdemir said he’s ready to make his second chance count.
When asked which option he’d prefer, he said. “Revenge against Jiri, of course. But (against) Pereira, it’s better for me if he remains undefeated (at light heavyweight) as it gives you more thrill for the challenge.”
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In order to position himself for a potential shot at either man, however, he’ll have to get his hand raised in victory over Walker this weekend, and true to his “No Time” moniker, Oezdemir isn’t planning to hang around and wait for the scorecards.
“I will get my hand raised by knockout, between the first two rounds.”
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs Aliskerov took place live from Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on June 22, 2024. See the final Prelim and Main Card results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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