Volkan Oezdemir
Active 2017–present · rated in 5 editions · peak overall 82.0
Scouting report
First-round knockouts of Misha Cirkunov (28 seconds) and Jimi Manuwa (42 seconds) earned Volkan "No Time" Oezdemir a UFC light heavyweight title fight in record time. Born in Fribourg, Switzerland, Oezdemir broke contenders with inside pocket hooks, his finishing power captured by an 89 Boxing rating and 82 Durability.
Peak ratings
By edition
Oezdemir produced a breakout year in 2017, beating Ovince Saint Preux on a split decision in Houston before scoring back-to-back first-round knockouts of Misha Cirkunov in Stockholm and Jimi Manuwa at UFC 214 in Anaheim. His short-range hooks and clinch power earned him a title shot, reflected in an 89 Boxing and 86 Strength.
In 2018 and 2019, Oezdemir challenged Daniel Cormier for the light heavyweight title at UFC 220 in Boston, lost to Anthony Smith by submission and to Dominick Reyes on a split decision, and rebounded with a knockout of Ilir Latifi in Montevideo and a split-decision win over Aleksandar Rakic in Busan. His heavy hands and takedown defense anchor his 88 Boxing and 82 Durability.
Oezdemir engaged top-ranked contenders between 2020 and 2021 on Fight Island and in Abu Dhabi, suffering a knockout loss to Jiri Prochazka at UFC 251 and dropping a decision to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 267. His pocket boxing, right-hand counter, and durability are reflected in an 86 Boxing and 80 Durability.
Oezdemir won three of five fights between 2022 and 2024, defeating Paul Craig in London, submitting Bogdan Guskov with a first-round rear-naked choke in Paris, and knocking out Johnny Walker in round one at UFC on ABC 6 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. His fast-starting power combinations and takedown defense maintain his 88 Boxing and 82 Durability.
Volkan Oezdemir, the Swiss knockout artist who arrived on short notice
Volkan Oezdemir is Swiss and trained at Golden Glory in the Netherlands, where he became friends with Alistair Overeem. He competed in kickboxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu and made his MMA debut in 2010. He debuted in the big promotion in 2017 as a short-notice replacement and beat Ovince Saint Preux by split decision. Within a year he was fighting for the light heavyweight title.
Oezdemir, rating by rating
Boxing. The headline number at 89. He knocked out Misha Cirkunov in 28 seconds in 2017 and Jimi Manuwa in the opening minute of their fight.
Kickboxing. A solid 82. He competed in kickboxing before MMA, so this part of the game is not an afterthought.
Wrestling. 76. He fought Anthony Smith in 2018 and was choked in the third round, which shows the ground game is not where he wins.
BJJ. His lowest rating at 70. Kelly Anundson submitted him with a neck crank in Bellator in 2014.
Strength. 86. He knocked out Manuwa and Cirkunov in 2017 and Ilir Latifi in 2019.
Durability. 82. He lost to Daniel Cormier by second-round TKO in the 2018 title fight, and later went the distance with Ankalaev and Krylov.
Cardio. 80. He went the distance against Aleksandar Rakic in 2019, winning a split decision.
Fight IQ. 80. He finished Ilir Latifi by second-round knockout in 2019.
Boxing at 89 is the headline number
Boxing is 89, easily his top number. He knocked out Manuwa in the opening minute of their 2017 fight and won a Performance of the Night bonus for it. His 82 overall is his best card rating, and those wins led to a title shot against Daniel Cormier in 2018.
The ground game is a soft spot: BJJ
BJJ is 70, the lowest on his card. He lost by neck crank to Kelly Anundson in Bellator in 2014 and by rear-naked choke to Anthony Smith in 2018. It is 19 points below his boxing.
Keep exploring
Closest light heavyweight profiles to Volkan Oezdemir, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Jimi Manuwabest boxing 89 · weakest bjj 70
- Johnny Walkerbest strength 88 · weakest wrestling 74
- Chuck Liddellbest boxing 90 · weakest bjj 68
- Ion Cutelababest strength 86 · weakest bjj 70
- Light Heavyweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Volkan Oezdemir's strongest attribute, Boxing.
Draft Volkan Oezdemir into your build
Volkan Oezdemir enters the pool on any spin landing on light heavyweight between 2016 and present. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Volkan Oezdemir is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Volkan Oezdemir's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.