The Prelims warmed up Qatar, but the main card brought the heat. While Kyoji Horiguchi owned the night with a clean RNC finish, Volkan Oezdemir handled the striking ordeal. Bringing an elite show of power and technique, ‘No Time’ turned the light heavyweight bout into a masterclass in Muay Thai.

Oezdemir took on ex-CFL linebacker turned UFC-fighter Alonzo Menifield during the latter half of the fight night. However, before the audience could fasten their seat belts, Oezdemir dominated Menifield, securing the win via KO (punches) just 87 seconds into the first round!

Volkan Oezdemir puts up a Muay Thai show

The Swiss began by building pressure, cornering his opponent while staying out of his striking range. Finding an opening, Oezdemir led with a cross and a lead upper-cut as Menifield guarded up. Piercing a knee right on his chin, Oezdemir followed up with a storm of powerful uppercuts and hooks, finishing the fight.

With a striking accuracy of 49%, Oezdemir relies heavily on his boxing acumen to win his fights. His powerful strikes allow his quicker finishes, with 14 of his 20 wins coming in Round 1. However, entering the Octagon today, the fight brimmed full of possibilities, as ‘No Time’ geared up for a comeback.

The Swiss fighter’s 2024 was a rocky road. While he scored an impressive KO over Johnny Walker in mid-2024, he went on to lose against Carlos Ulberg via UD. Returning to action a full year later, Oezdemir’s strength lay in his striking, with a slight power advantage over Menifield. But Menifield wasn’t about to make the fight easy, stacking up an 18% submission rate against Oezdemir’s 10%. Menifield was also riding fresh off a two-fight win streak, which Oezdemir ended in vogue.

During the Octagon interview, ‘No Time’ revealed that his strategy was to focus on high-volume punches instead of 1-2 knockout punches. According to Oezdemir, the “combo never had to stop,” and that’s exactly how the night unfolded. Revealing his long-term outlook for UFC, Oezdemir added, “My goal is the belt, that’s for sure. I’ve always wanted to reach the top, and now with this performance, I definitely want to get back into the top five. I want to build my way up there and get a shot at the belt.”

Returning to UFC with that intent, Oezdemir has already proven his statement and is looking to follow his way up.

Volkan Oezdemir prophesied his Qatar win

After a soul-crushing loss against Carlos Ulberg, Oezdemir took a strategic hiatus from fighting to focus on his pregnant girlfriend and baby. According to the Swiss fighter, having too much on your plate doesn’t end well, so he stayed out of fighting for a year. After he made his return plans clear, Oezdemir wished to fight against Jan Blachowicz, which sadly didn’t happen. Speaking on Menifield as an opponent, ‘No Time’ revealed that he didn’t view him as a threat at all.

“He’s been at the gates of the top-15 for a long time, but has never really pushed through it. He wants to test himself against me, and that’s not a smart idea. I will gladly show him that.” Further, he added, “He’s a little bit slow, but he is powerful. I don’t think he’s more special than anybody else; he’s a good opponent. But I think this fight will play out in my favor.”

Sure enough, against Oezdemir’s lightning-fast strikes, Menifield couldn’t ride out even the first round. While both fighters bring a plethora of experience, it just wasn’t enough against the Swiss light heavyweight. If Oezdemir has his way, he is eyeing Jamahal Hill next. Will we see another Round 1 KO?