Paris, France – UFC light heavyweight Volkan Oezdemir was not about to pass up fighting in front of friends and family at UFC Paris on Saturday night so when his original opponent fell out, and the UFC offered a newcomer as a replacement, it was a no-brainer to accept.
“At the time my manager actually hold on to me that the guy was injured. So for a few days until they found a replacement he just kept it quiet. It was actually good. I kept on focusing on my training camp. I don’t have to think about whatever else in my mind,” Oezdemir told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.
“The UFC told him (my manager) there was no top 15 available to fight in Paris. He knew already I wanted to keep the date because Paris is a place I really wanted to fight in.”
The opponent would have to be a debutant, Bogdan Guskov at UFC Paris, and Oezdemir had no issues accepting right away.
“They (UFC) said if you really want to keep the spot then we’re going to have to sign a new guy. For me it was a quick yes anyway because it’s going to be all about me. It’s going to be my fight, my night, I don’t really care who’s in front of me,” said Oezdemir.
With Paris being so close to Switzerland ‘No Time’ will have plenty of support in the crowd in the form of family and friends.
“Paris is a great place because it’s like next to home. I have a lot family coming, a lot of friends are here already, so it’s actually really good. Give me a lot of motivation, and this is the thing that give me a lot of a lot of (pride) to fight in front of them, and to be able to give them some nice fights and good pleasure and to enjoy the night after we’re done,” he said.
It’ll be a home field advantage for Oezdemir with all of the support that he’ll have in the crowd on Saturday night.
“I’m coming from the French-speaking part of Switzerland so it’s actually really good for me because a lot of people are usually coming to Paris often for holiday. It’s like an easy destination for them,” Oezdemir told Cageside Press.
“They’re willing to make the trip so it’s actually going to be good because there’s a lot of people coming.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Volkan Oezdemir above. He takes on Bogdan Guskov at UFC Paris on Saturday.
