UFC
“It will be over as soon as my hands connect to his face”
Volkan Oezdemir. Photo via (@volkan_oezdemir)
Former UFC title challenger Volkan Oezdemir is set for a massive fight as he takes on Johnny Walker at UFC’s debut card in Saudi Arabia in June. With his one-punch KO power and durability, Oezdemir always delivers action in the octagon and has been a staple in the light heavyweight division for the past seven years.
In an exclusive interview with Frontkick.online, the former title challenger gives his take on the upcoming clash with the top-ranked Brazilian.
“Walker is a great fight for me, a good matchup,” Oezdemir says. “The guy has been chicken dancing in most of his fights lately. It will be over as soon as my hands connect to his face. He doesn’t do anything else but striking.”
“He’s a bit too tall to be good at wrestling and I’ve never seen any offensive wrestling from him. It’s all gonna be about finding the right opportunity. As soon as I touch him it will be over.”
First UFC card in Saudi Arabia
The 34-year-old light heavyweight veteran is happy to be a part of the historic first Saudi Arabian UFC event. The card will go down at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, the very same venue that hosted blockbuster boxing fights like Fury vs. Ngannou and Joshua vs. Ngannou.
“There’s a lot of hype surrounding the card. They put a lot of effort in the boxing cards there, with a lot of people coming in from all over the world, so it will be great to be a part of the first UFC event.”
Headlining the event is Volkan’s old training buddy Khamzat Chimaev, who will take on former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker in a five-round title eliminator bout.
“That’s a great match for Khamzat at middleweight. Definitely a banger of a fight. It’s a very sweet card overall, some fights are really, really good, and I’ve seen that a lot of people are stoked about it on the internet.”
Photo via USA Today Sports
“When I discovered MMA, it all fell into place”
For Volkan Oezdemir, it was the classic martial arts movies with Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee that made him curious about the world of combat as a young teenager. He picked up Karate at 13 and moved on to try sports like BJJ and boxing before finally finding MMA.
“When I discovered MMA it all fell into place. It was free and it was perfect for me.”
Making his MMA pro debut in 2010, he pulled together a 12-1 record in various promotions before finally signing with the UFC in 2017.
Can you describe the feeling of entering the UFC cage?
“It’s actually just a part of the process. It’s not something really special. Everything around the fight is just a part of the process. It’s winning inside the cage that matters. Inside the cage I have tunnel vision and just focus on the outcome of the fight. It’s very important to not let my mind wander. The reality is inside the cage and I need to be in the moment.”
Andreas Michael and Volkan Oezdemir. Photo via Instagram (@volkan_oezdemir)
Volkan Oezdemir and Allstars Training Center
A few years back, Volkan went to Stockholm, Sweden, to train at the well-known Allstars Training Center with the ambition of taking the next step in his career. He came to like the gym and the team so much that he moved permanently to the Swedish capital.
“I trained in Switzerland a while after I moved back from the US, but I struggled to find high level training partners there. At that point the Allstars team had been at the highest level with Alexander Gustafsson for like ten or fifteen years. He had legendary fights with Jon Jones and was a top fighter for a long time. The level in Sweden was just higher than in Switzerland.”
At the Allstars he also trains with some of the hottest prospects in Europe, like UFC fighters Bernardo Sopai and Josefine Knutsson and OKTAGON MMA champion Felipe Lima, as well as the next generation Swedish fighters like Sakhi “Machete” Qambari and Liam Pitts.
“It’s awesome, we have a lot of good talents coming up right now. It’s really great to see them evolving. Bernardo Sopai just reached the UFC, that’s really good. He put on a good fight and got Fight of the Month.”
Last year the gym started its own promotion, Allstars Fight Night, which gave a lot of young prospects a chance to compete. The former UFC title challenger is nothing but positive to the club’s ambitious work.
“At Allstars Fight Night, our young fighters can evolve and get experience, in a good environment too. Experience in the cage is something every young prospect really needs.”
Volkan Oezdemir. Photo: Stefan Romare
“I don’t like Hill – he’s got a big mouth”
On Saturday’s massive UFC 300 in Las Vegas, the light heavyweight title will be on the line as reigning champion Alex Pereira will defend his strap for the first time. He will take on former title holder Jamahal Hill in the main event.
“It’s an interesting fight and I think Pereira might be winning. Jamahal is talking about keeping it standing so it’s actually going to be a fun fight to watch,” Oezdemir says.
How far are you from another title shot yourself?
“At the place I am right now, as the division looks, I’m pretty much two good wins away from a title shot. Two wins where I put on a show, like two knockouts, can get me a title fight. I really want to face Pereira, he’s a double UFC champion and a double Glory Kickboxing champ, so it would be a really good fight. I don’t like Hill, he’s got a big mouth, but you know, it doesn’t really matter who I face.”
Read more: Bernardo Sopai talks UFC debut: “Some things are good to happen early”
