With hopes of getting back into title contention in the light heavyweight division, Volkan “No Time” Oezdemir wants to fight Thiago Santos or Alexander Gustaffson next. This report comes from MMA Junkie’s Farrah Hannoun. Oezdemir is on a two-fight win streak.
Oezdemir is looking to continue his momentum after beating Aleksandar Rakic by split decision at UFC Fight Night 165 on December 21, 2019. This weekend and next weekend will see important matchups that will change the division. Oezdemir spoke with MMA Junkie on his thoughts on the division and what’s next for him, which he said “Nothing is fixed now. I have some personal stuff that I need to attend.” He then went on to say, “Plus all the big dogs in the division have a fight lined up, so I am training hard and waiting to see how things unfold.”
While the division is currently matched up to see who gets closer to becoming champion and number one contender, Oezdemir is hoping to get Santos and Gustaffson. When speaking to MMA Junkie on potential fights, Oezdemir said “Thiago Santos will be a fun fight that will bring a lot of fireworks, and I also still want the Gustafsson fight. I know he plays dead until he finds an easy fight, but in the meantime, I want to stay active and fight the stronger guy out there.”
Santos is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in his last fight against light heavyweight champion Jon Jones at UFC 239 on July 6, 2019. Santos is ranked first in the light heavyweight division and has an MMA record of 21-7. Gustafsson is seemingly retired from MMA, after his loss against Anthony Smith at UFC Fight Night 153 on July 1, 2019. However, Gustafsson and Dana White have confirmed that Gustaffson will compete once again. Gustaffson is ranked eighth in the light heavyweight division and has an MMA record of 18-6. A win over either Santos or Gustaffson can put Oezdemir back in the mix in the division.