Volkan Oezdemir and Alonzo Menifield square off at UFC Qatar on Saturday in a light heavyweight showdown that promises explosive moments from the opening bell.
Oezdemir (20-8) ended a nearly year-long layoff when he stepped into the cage with Menifield. The former title challenger entered the bout looking to rebound from a decision loss to Carlos Ulberg that halted his two-fight win streak.
Menifield (17-5-1) entered the matchup aiming to extend his winning streak to three. Back-to-back victories over Oumar Sy and Julius Walker had given him solid momentum heading into the showdown with Oezdemir.
Round 1 – Oezdemir opened the round applying heavy forward pressure, but Menifield briefly halted his advance with a sharp left hook that forced the former title challenger to reset. Undeterred, Oezdemir marched right back in, pinning Menifield against the fence and unleashing tight combinations in close.
He did an excellent job cutting off Menifield’s lateral escapes, never allowing him to circle out freely. A clean knee up the middle snapped Menifield’s posture and gave him something new to worry about. Moments later, Oezdemir fired another vicious knee, followed by a flurry of punches that overwhelmed Menifield and forced the referee to wave it off.
A dominant, violent reminder: Volkan Oezdemir is back.
With a finish like that, Oezdemir just reinserted himself into the light heavyweight conversation in a big way. This was vintage “No Time”, pressure, precision, and pure stopping power.
Official Result: Volkan Oezdemir def. Alonzo Menifield via R1 KO, 1:27
