It’s actually going to happen. Despite all of the drama surrounding rising title contender Volkan Oezdemir, the promotion has officially announced that he would be the next challenger for Daniel Cormier’s light heavyweight title.
There were many fight fans that thought this bout would not be made due to the fact that Oezdemir was charged last month with aggravated battery with serious bodily injury, which is a second-degree felony charge.
Oezdemir made his UFC debut earlier this year when he decided to take a fight against Ovince Saint Preux at UFC Fight Night 104 in Houston on short-notice. As seen in the fight, upset the favored “OSP with a split decision.
Following that fight, he picked up a 28-second knockout win over Misha Cirkunov at UFC Fight Night 109 in Sweden then beat Jimi Manuwa with a bonus-winning knockout in just 42 seconds at UFC 214 in July.
Oezdemir still expected to fight Cormier as planned, even after the legal issues came to light.
“I knew it was gonna happen,” Oezdemir told BloodyElbow.com. “I called for it for a while, and finally I have it, so it’s perfect. I wanted to have the title fight after my last fight right away, but Jon Jones was trying to fight maybe with Brock (Lesnar) or something else, trying to get any money fights. So I was like, ‘Maybe it’s time to do a No. 1 contenders matchup.’ And then all the situation happened, and finally I’m back in contention.
“I think it was the perfect timing for everybody. I think [Cormier] needed some time off, and now he wanted [to fight], and I want the title anytime soon, I wanted it ASAP.”
Oezdemir would go on to add that “everything is going smooth” and that his lawyer’s main concern is the arrest.
“Everybody has their own goal. Everybody has their own job. My job is to train and fight, and everybody else is handling their own job,” Oezdemir said. “It’s not hard for me to focus. I have a great team around me, so everything is handled properly. Feeling great. Only great news. No problems. I’m feeling very confident about the future.”
“Definitely it’s crazy,” he said. “It’s something that nobody expected, because nobody knew me back in the day. Nobody knew who I was, and nobody were able to know the potential that I had. I had two really quick fights, and nobody really knew what to expect for the next fight. Definitely, the rise has been pretty fast, for sure, and I feel the best.”
“So my first fight, I didn’t think about that,” he said. “But I knew I was fighting the No. 6 in the world, somebody that had his chance for the title right away, somebody that fought Jon Jones. I knew I was really close, and I just kept on going with this, because after that win, then I fought another up-and-coming guy (Misha Cirkunov), who was also in the title talks; everybody was saying he was one of the best prospects. Anything that happened after the first fight was part of the process.”
UFC 220 is set to take place on January 20, 2018, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.The main card will air on pay-per-view while the preliminary card will air on FOX Sports 1 and the promotion’s streaming service, UFC Fight Pass.
When asked about his prediction for the fight, it’s not shocking.
“It’s gonna be a first-round knockout.”
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