After much speculation, the UFC has finally made it official. Alexander Gustafsson will take on Volkan Oezdemir at UFC 227 on Aug. 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
#️⃣1️⃣ ? #️⃣2️⃣@AlexTheMauler meets @Volkan_Oezdemir in Los Angeles for #UFC227! pic.twitter.com/QmJ6keF0xr
— UFC (@ufc) July 5, 2018
Volkan was earlier booked for a bout with “Shogun” for the Hamburg main event on July 22, but there were some complications due to a felony charge from a bar fight in Florida. Ozedemir’s last fight was against current light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, which he lost via a second-round TKO. Volkan holds a professional record with 15 wins and two losses and is well known for his knockout power.
On the other hand, this will be Gustafsson’s first fight in 2018. He last fought Glover Teixeira at UFC FN 109 which won via a spectacular fifth-round KO. After the Glover fight, Gustafsson had to undergo some form of surgery on his shoulder and has been out for a while. “The Mauler” is one of the best UFC light heavyweights and has a professional record of 18 wins and four losses. His losses were to some of the best guys to ever step foot inside the octagon.
This is a classic striker vs. striker bout with both men having some serious knockout power in their hands. We’ll have to wait and watch how this fight is going to pan out.
With the addition of Gustafsson vs Oezdemir, the UFC 227 card looks already packed with more fights yet to be announced. A bantamweight title rematch between champion T.J. Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt will headline the card. The co-main event will see another title rematch. Flyweight kingpin Demetrious Johnson will look to extend his record for most successful UFC title defense when he takes on Henry Cejudo.
Who’s your pick, Alexander Gustafsson or Volkan Oezdemir?
