Five Things You Might Not Know About Volkan Oezdemir

---

Volkan Oezdemir is Switzerland’s most famous mixed martial arts export.

Currently, the 29 year-old is plying his trade in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s light-heavyweight division. Next up for the 17-2 contender is a main event slot opposite Anthony Smith at UFC Fight Night 138 on Oct. 27 in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. A win will take the Swiss combatant one step closer to a second shot at the UFC light heavyweight title.

As the big day looms, here are five things that you might not know about the fighter known as “No Time.”

1. He has competed in professional kickboxing.

Oezdemir, who holds a 5-0 record in the sport of kickboxing, has appeared in Superkombat, a European kickboxing promotion. Friends watching him participate in kickboxing competition gave Oezdemir the nickname “No Time,” due to his habit of dispatching opponents in quick order. Oezdemir honed his skills during a trip to the Netherlands, where he trained at the esteemed Golden Glory gym. There he became firm friends with MMA and K-1 icon Alistair Overeem. He even accompanied Overeem for a full training camp, during which the experienced Dutchman imparted some of his fight knowledge on his enthusiastic Swiss charge.

2. He has a Kurdish father.

Oezdemir was born in the French-speaking town of Fribourg to a Swiss mother and a Kurdish father, hailing from Erzincan Province (Erzingan in Kurdish) in north-eastern Turkey. Oezdemir has become something of an icon amongst the Kurdish people because of his successes in the cage and ring. He has recently reached out to fellow UFC contracted Turk Gokhan Saki with an offer to train together in the future.

3. He had a 19-month gap in the middle of his professional career.

Oezdemir was an 11-1 prospect when he took a year and a half sabbatical from the sport. Following a TKO victory in Sep. 2014, he did not compete again until April 2016. He said in an interview about this lengthy absence, “I stopped fighting for a while because there was a period of my life that was full of doubt and stuff …” Oezdemir was disillusioned with the sport due to the low pay he has stated that he was earning at the time with various European promotions. During his hiatus, he worked in various jobs that he has described as menial and unsatisfactory. His life changed when he relocated stateside and joined The Blackzilians MMA team in Florida.

4. He has 12 first round finishes.

It is little surprise that Oezdemir has adopted the moniker “No Time,” considering that his 19-bout resume boasts 12 first round finishes, 11 (73 percent) of which have come via KO/TKO. Two of his four UFC opponents to date have been vanquished in the first frame. The victims, Misha Cirkunov and Jimi Manuwa, were finished in 28-seconds and 42-seconds respectively. Oezdemir was a heavy underdog in both fights.

5. He has fought at heavyweight.

Prior to downsizing to the 205-pound division, Oezdemir competed at heavyweight. The 6-foot-2 fighter’s first 10 professional MMA bouts were all contested at that weight. It was after his October 2013 Bellator 105 TKO win, that he made the decision to drop down a division. Oezdemir, who walks around at 230, has said that he has no trouble in making the light-heavyweight limit.