Volkan Oezdemir

Oezdemir produced a breakout year in 2017, defeating Ovince Saint Preux on short notice in Houston before scoring back-to-back first-round knockouts of Misha Cirkunov in 28 seconds in Stockholm and Jimi Manuwa in 42 seconds 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, dropped stoppage defeats to Anthony Smith and Dominick Reyes, 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 scored European victories 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.