Sources: Volkan Oezdemir Returns Against Rising Contender
Former title contender Volkan Oezdemir will reportedly return against a fighter looking to make a similar rise as ‘No Time’ once did.
According to MMAjunkie, multiple sources confirmed that Oezdemir will return against rising star Dominick Reyes at March 16’s UFC on ESPN+ 5 from London, England. The bout was first reported by BJPenn.com. The sources apparently wanted to remain anonymous due to the UFC not officially announcing the bout as of yet.
Oezdemir was arguably the fastest-rising contender in MMA at this time last year. In his first full year with the UFC, ‘No Time’ beat Ovince Saint Preux, Misha Cirkunov, and Jimi Manuwa to earn a title shot at then-light heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier. But the Swiss native’s rise was rapidly halted by Cormier when he finished Oezdemir via TKO at UFC 220.
Oezdemir looked to rebound from the loss against another surging contender in Anthony Smith at October’s UFC Moncton. However, a back-and-forth affair saw ‘No Time’ ultimately lose via submission. The defeat put him on the first losing streak of his MMA career.
Reyes is on the other side of the spectrum. ‘The Devastator’ has won all four of his UFC bouts dating back to his debut fight in June 2017. He most recently outlasted Saint Preux by decision at October’s UFC 229. He has finished eight of his 10 total professional MMA bouts.
The fight promises to be a heated affair where Oezdemir will badly need a victory to avoid a three-fight losing streak. With the addition, UFC on ESPN+ 5’s lineup is currently as follows:
- Dominick Reyes vs. Volkan Oezdemir
- Danny Roberts vs. Claudio Silva
- Priscila Cachoeira vs. Molly McCann
- Jack Marshman vs. John Phillips
- Tom Breese vs. TBA
- Saparbeg Safarov vs. Gokhan Saki
