Prior to each UFC card, Jay Primetown takes a close look at debuting fighters. In the latest installment, we look at Swiss light heavyweight Volkan Oezdemir as he makes his UFC debut against Ovince St. Preux at UFC Fight Night 104 in Houston, Texas. Volkan Oezdemir Hometown: Fribourg, Switzerland Age: 27 Height: 6’1” Reach: 76” Weight Class: Light Heavyweight Camp: Impacto Jiu-Jitsu Career Record: 12-1 Key Wins: None Key Losses: Kelly Anundson Background The Blackzilians-trained fighter has spent time at camps all around the world including in Holland and Thailand. He has shown to be a finisher with 10 first round finishes in his 12 victories. Strengths
- Throws hook punches with power with hands
- Heavy leg kicks
- Strong legs that he uses to help him get back to his feet after being taken down
Weaknesses
- Striking defense has holes
- Limited takedown defense
- Fought once in the last two years
- Poor endurance
- Slows down significantly in second half of fights
Matchup against Ovince St. Preux A difficult matchup for Volkan Oezdemir in his UFC debut as he takes on top ten light heavyweight Ovince St. Preux. Oezdemir can stand and strike with St. Preux, but the length disadvantage will be an issue. St. Preux holds a five inch reach advantage and will be able to throw jabs and straight overhands without getting into Oezdemir’s range. The debutant tends to throw hooks more than any other punch and those require him being at range to have some success. Furthermore, I see St. Preux having a major advantage on the ground. Oezdemir has shown no semblance of a submission game, while St. Preux is surprisingly good at sinking in submissions. St. Preux could very well secure a submission in the grappling exchanges against a relative novice on the ground. St. Preux by submission (+400) is the best prop available on this fight given the skill gap. Overall, St. Preux is a -340 favorite and deservingly so. Despite coming off a knockout loss, he has advantages in nearly every facet of this fight. UFC Ceiling Oezdemir has a decent striking base with heavy legs and some power in his hooks. Beyond that, his game is rather limited for mixed martial arts. He hasn’t shown any semblance of a submission game and he’s going to struggle with longer opponents who can strike from the outside or have solid wrestling games. Oezdemir could have some entertaining matchup with striking centric fighters, but other than that I don’t see him having success in the UFC. Fight Film Check out Volkan Oezdemir in some of his most recent fights: Volkan Oezdemir vs. Kelly Anundson Volkan Oezdemir vs. Alikhan Vakhaev