Alonzo Menifield walks into UFC Qatar on Saturday night carrying the swagger of a man who’s finally breaking through the light heavyweight ceiling, and he’ll get his biggest test yet in former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir.
“He’s ‘No Time’ so I think he comes out to try to hurt me and that’s where I’ll gain the edge,” Menifield told reporters on Wednesday.
“Not to brawl, but wait for that perfect strike. If needed, I’ll grapple, whatever.”
Menifield (17-5-1) is energized by the chance to share the cage with a former title challenger in Oezdemir. In many ways, it’s the biggest opportunity of his career, a win over a name like Oezdemir would be a major addition to his resume.
“This is a great opportunity. He’s been one of those guys I watch in the days. So I’m excited. Like, finally,” he said.
Menifield snapped a two-fight skid with his win over Julius Walker, but he never allowed those losses to weigh on him heading into the matchup.
“You just move forward. You don’t think about it. If you come from where I come from, hey, it is what it is, and I’m here,” he said.
With a win behind him and momentum back on his side, Menifield isn’t looking to slow down. His goals are simple now: climb the ladder, challenge himself, and start knocking off names that matter.
“I’ll take them all. It doesn’t matter to me. Just ranked opponents,” said Menifield.
“I’d like to fight some people, get those rematches, and then take out one or two important people and then yeah let’s go for gold.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Alonzo Menifield above. He takes on Volkan Oezdemir at UFC Qatar on Saturday.
