Volkan Oezdemir

Nationality

Switzerland

Born

1989-09-19

Height

6'1"

Weight

205 lbs

Volkan Oezdemir (born 19 September 1989) is a Swiss professional mixed martial artist and former kickboxer. He currently competes in the Light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2010, Oezdemir formerly competed for Bellator. As a kickboxer, he competed for Superkombat Fighting Championship in their heavyweight division. As of 26 November 2024, he is #9 in the UFC light heavyweight rankings. Background Oezdemir was born in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. His father from Turkey is ethnically Kurdish and his mother is Swiss. He befriended Alistair Overeem on a visit to the Netherlands while training at the Golden Glory gym. Oezdemir later competed in amateur and professional kickboxing, as well as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, before transitioning to mixed martial arts.