Volkan Oezdemir Fighting Style: Is He a Striker or a Grappler? Does UFC Star Have a Black Belt?

Volkan Oezdemir is going to fight Johnny Walker and commence the main card at UFC’s exciting trip to Saudi, and without a doubt, the excitement for UFC Saudi Arabia within the MMA world is pretty significant. The Swiss mixed martial artist currently rules at the ninth spot in the light heavyweight rankings, while his opponent is only a couple of steps ahead of him on the ladder. 

Before going into the fight, Oezdemir’s records read 19 wins and 7 losses. ‘No Time’ is currently on a one-fight winning streak and needless to say, is looking to defeat Walker and extend the streak. On the other hand, the Brazilian light heavyweight contender, on a one-fight losing streak, is also looking for a win. Despite being an expert in the field of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Walker has won 16 of his fights via knockouts and just 3 by submissions. Will Oezdemir be able to hold his ground against Walker? Let’s dissect the Swiss fighter’s fighting style.

What type of fighter is Volkan Oezdemir?

‘No Time’ is one of the few forces that cannot be stopped inside the MMA cage. 12 of his victories in the UFC came via knockout. A submission earned him a single victory. Without a doubt, Oezdemir can be considered as a knockout artist. The Swiss mixed martial artist has a stunning striking accuracy of 48% and a takedown accuracy of 33%. Looking at the fighter’s significant strike rates, it is safe to say that he is a pretty good striker. 

Oezdemir’s striking prowess comes from his early days when he used to practice kickboxing. Before he stepped into the Ultimate Fighting Championship, ‘No Time’ was an undefeated professional kickboxer. You heard it right! He has a record of 5 wins and no losses in pro kickboxing. But can he defend himself against Johnny Walker’s BJJ skills? 

Seems like he can. He has participated in a few amateur BJJ competitions and claims that the arm triangle is his favorite grappling technique. Even though it is unclear whether he is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Oezdemir got his hands on the purple belt back in 2019. The Swiss fighter proudly shared the moment with his Instagram family. 

Needless to say, Walker is going to face a pretty tough opponent at UFC Saudi Arabia. With kickboxing and BJJ in his arsenal, Oezdemir has the potential to claim a win over the Brazilian fighter. With his accolades in the UFC, many fans think so too. But did you know about his knockout records in the Octagon? 

‘No Time’s KO record in his UFC career

As mentioned earlier, Oezdemir has won 12 wins via KO. Surprisingly, all of the finishes came within the very first round. The Swiss fighter takes pride in his left hook and rightfully so. Although he won his UFC debut fight against Ovince St. Preux via split decision, ‘No Time’ displayed the power of his punches in the next couple of fights. He defeated Misha Cirkunov and Jimi Manuwa via KO through punches. After going through a tough phase of a 3-fight losing streak, he claimed another victory by KO (punches) as he defeated Ilir Latifi in the second round of their bout. His last fight in the UFC against Bogdan Guskov was a win via rear naked choke. 

Oezdemir earned his first-ever victory in the land of mixed martial arts via a TKO by punches, as he defeated Martin Vath in his debut fight under the banner of Shooto – Switzerland 7. Thereafter, he continued to execute strong punches and claimed 7 back-to-back wins via TKO. And all of those came with the help of his strong fists.

Do you think Oezdemir can claim a victory over Walker with a KO by punches? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.