LAS VEGAS – UFC light-heavyweight title contender Volkan Oezdemir has a fight with champ Daniel Cormier to think about at UFC 220.
But he sees Alexander Gustafsson (18-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) and Ovince Saint Preux (22-10 MMA, 10-5 UFC) as future opponents should he win the belt in the pay-per-view co-headliner on Jan. 20 at TD Garden in Boston.
“(Gustafsson) is definitely No. 1,” Oezdemir (15-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) said this past weekend before his title fight with Cormier (19-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC). “But he also stayed inactive for a long time.
“He’s No. 1 in the ranking. He’s (fought for) the belt. But what I see also is (Saint Preux) right now. I have, I guess, unfinished business with him because of what happened. He’s going to be fighting four times this year. He’s in great shape and looking really good.”
Saint Preux, who’s won his past three in impressive fashion, has said he wants back his losses, and that includes Oezdemir, who bested him via split decision in February 2017. Saint Preux currently is booked to face Ilir Latifi (13-5 MMA, 6-3 UFC) at UFC on FOX 27 on Jan. 27 in Charlotte, N.C.
Gustafsson, meanwhile, remains a contender following a knockout win over Glover Teixeira earlier this year. The two-time title challenger recently underwent shoulder surgery. He’s also called for a fight with deposed champ Jon Jones (21-1-1 MMA, 15-1-1 UFC), who remains on the shelf pending the outcome of his latest failed drug test.
There are plenty of immediate options for a new champ. Now, though, all Oezdemir has to do is get past Cormier.
For complete coverage of UFC 220, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
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