Daniel Cormier is the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion once again, regaining his title after Jon Jones fell yet again to drug-related issues. Now, “D.C.” has announced his next opponent which will be Volkan Oezdemir.
Oezdemir may not be a popular name for most. But for the mixed martial arts fans who have closely monitored the UFC events, the 28-year-old is best remembered as the guy who competed in one of the undercards of UFC 214 – the pay-per-view where Cormier lost to Jones via knockout.
Why Oezdemir?
Oezdemir signed with the UFC this year and debuted despite the short notice.
The split decision victory over Ovince St. Preux is something but it was his performance and UFC Fight Night 109 that raised his stock.
The Swiss mixed martial artist faced Misha Cirkunov last May 28, 2017, and won handily via knockout in just 28 seconds. He followed that up with another big KO win over Jimi Manuwa in July, the same event where Cormier initially lost to Jones before PEDs overturned the outcome.
Oezdemir holds a perfect 5-0 win-loss record in the UFC and gets the chance to become light heavyweight champion if Cormier’s declaration is made official. Based on his Twitter post, “D.C.” based his choice on who the people wanted and that he was still figuring out a right date for the match.
@volkan_oezdemir I asked and people wanna see u and I scrap. So you got it man! Let me figure a date now. They chose u bud! Congrats
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) September 28, 2017
Why not Gustafsson?
There is no question that Oezdemir is an exciting new figure in the UFC. But if one is to go through the ranks, the fighter who deserves a shot at the title is Alexander Gustafsson.
The no. 1 contender was in action last May against Glover Teixeria. Gustafsson won that one via 5th round knockout and was eventually declared “Fight of the Night.”
Gustafsson and Cormier previously faced each other at UFC 192 back in 2015. “D.C.” won that fight via split decision and a rematch would have made sense, the Bloody Elbow reported.
Seeing how Cormier based his choice of an opponent on what the fans wanted, the UFC is likely to support the choice seeing how exciting and popular Oezdemir is right now. But would it be a wise route for the reigning UFC light heavyweight champion?
At 38, Cormier may have his work cut out for him. Though known to be a witty tactician in the Octagon, he is facing a younger and hungry opponent who has shown he can explosively finish off opponents.
Recalling what went down at UFC 214, most saw how devastated Cormier was after losing to Jones. It took a while for him to regain his bearings though most may attribute that to pride. He and Oezdemir may not have the same rivalry but losing for the second time-in-a-row could render the same frustrated picture.
