After his knockout victory over Misha Cirkunov at UFC Fight Night 109 last weekend, Volkan Oezdemir expressed a desire to face heavy-handed light heavyweight Jimi Manuwa next. Well, the UFC has granted his wish. The promotion announced today that the pair will meet at UFC 214 in July.
Oezdemir (14-1) exploded onto the light heavyweight seen earlier this year, taking many by surprise with an upset split decision victory over Ovince St. Preux in February. The win was made even more impressive by the fact the Oezdemir took the fight on short notice. His sophomore effort came against Cirkunov, considered one of the most promising new talents in the division.
Manuwa (17–2), meanwhile, last saw action in London, where he stopped Corey Anderson in the first round of their UFC Fight Night 107 main event. The British slugger was trumpeted as a possible fill-in for Jon Jones should the troubled ex-champ fail to make it to UFC 214. Instead, Manuwa is now officially on the card.
UFC 214 takes place July 29 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The main event features a light heavyweight title fight between champ Daniel Cormier and former champ Jon Jones. Jones won their first meeting at UFC 182 in 2015 by unanimous decision.
