Beginning with his short-notice split decision win over Ovince Saint Preux on Super Bowl Saturday in Houston two years ago and culminating with his second-round stoppage victory over Ilir Latifi in Montevideo, Uruguay back in August, the Swiss standout has faced a non-stop collection of elite competitors, including challenging for the light heavyweight title at the outset of 2018.
“My first fight in the UFC was against a Top 10 guy and I’ve been fighting them ever since,” said Oezdemir, who halted a three-fight slide with his win over Latifi in the summer. “Obviously, a win like that (over Latifi) was really amazing for me because I had been on a three-fight losing streak against the top dogs in my division, but it’s good to be on a positive note.
“I think in this sport, you’re only as good as your last fight, so it’s really important to showcase your skills to everyone watching,” continued the former title challenger, whose star had lost some of its shine in the eyes of some fickle observers during his recent slide. “They need to know you’re still there, you’re still strong and you’re going to be there to prove it.
Oezdemir is a perfect example of the inherent difficulties in the “instant analysis, immediate reaction” world that all sports have become.
When he worked his way through Saint Preux, Misha Cirkunov and Jimi Manuwa in rapid succession during his breakthrough rookie campaign on the roster, everyone questioned whether he was good enough to hang with the absolute best in the world, despite his success.