Volkan Oezdemir will make a full-time move to Allstars Training Center to try and reestablish himself as a title contender.
Fighting out of Switzerland, Oezdemir has bounced around several gyms for cross training throughout his career, but after recently spending time in Sweden training with the likes of Alexander Gustafsson and Khamzat Chimaev, he has decided to make it his permanent home.
“I changed a lot right now,” Oezdemir said in an interview with Blockasset. “I’m establishing myself to Sweden. Right now I’m in the process of moving from my house, so I’m saying goodbye to Switzerland. I’m going to Allstars, I’m going to train with Khamzat, Darren Till, Alexander Gustafsson, all those beasts over there…it’s really good, I’m really happy, I’m making all the necessary changes. I have this fire inside of me, and I need the proper team around me and Allstars will be it.”
Oezdemir (17-6 MMA, 5-5 UFC), who burst onto the UFC scene in 2017 with three wins in five months, earned a quick title shot against then-light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier at UFC 220. Things didn’t go his way, and he went from a hot start to a three-fight losing skid.
He would then split his next four appearances, but despite currently being on another losing skid, Oezdemir takes solace in knowing that he’s always fought elite-level competition and believes it only takes a big finish to re-enter the title picture.
“You know what’s really crazy about the UFC and the 205 division, (is) you’re always just in the top 10,” Oezdemir said. “You’re always just two wins away because you need to win against names obviously, but you just need to win with the fashion. So that’s why I’m looking to get the knockout, the win and to put this fire inside the ring, get my hand raised and make all the people stand up from their chairs. So this is what’s bringing you closer to the title shot because now you’re bringing the views, you’re bringing the numbers.”
Oezdemir meets Paul Craig (16-4-1 MMA, 8-4-1 UFC) on July 23 at UFC Fight Night in London. Like Oezdemir, Craig once had his back against the wall but is now unbeaten in his past six fights, and Oezdemir admires his resolve.
“Paul is actually a really tough guy because he’s getting a lot of finishes late and getting into a lot of trouble and always getting his hand raised,” Oezdemir said. “Props to him and props because he’s fighting adversity. When you’re at a certain time in your career and you’re facing defeats, you need to get back in there and be clear-minded. You need to be sure that you’re gonna win, you need to be sure that you’re gonna be the best, so that’s also something really good about him.”
