Your
#UFCFightIsland6 co-main!@Volkan_Oezdemir
vs @KrylovUFC
is official! pic.twitter.com/rVJNY0kXGZ— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope)
September 24, 2020
Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on
your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the
ESPN app. The
Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Oct. 17 event has added a fun
light heavyweight tilt in the co-headliner spot. The promotion
announced the new co-main matchup on Thursday for
UFC Fight Night 180 on Oct. 17. At 205 pounds, Volkan
Oezdemir (17-5) will square off with Nikita
Krylov (27-7), in a battle between two men that have won only
five decisions across 44 victories. This fight card will be held at
the Flash Forum in Yas Island, United Arab Emirates, in the fourth
of a five-event stretch on the island.
Oezdemir saw a two-fight win streak end violently at the hands of
Jiri
Prochazka in July. Although Daniel
Cormier finished him with strikes in their 2018 championship
bout, the fight at UFC 251 against Prochazka marked the first time
that “No Time” had ever been cleanly knocked out. When Oezdemir
defeated Aleksandar
Rakic in December, he became the first fighter to ever beat
“The Rocket” on the scorecards.
Krylov started his career with 32 consecutive bouts that ended
inside the distance. Since then, he dropped a split verdict to
Glover
Teixeira in September 2019, and most recently won his first
decision against Johnny
Walker in March. Posting a finish rate of 96 percent, the
Ukrainian fighter holds wins over names like Ovince St.
Preux, the aforementioned Walker, Ed Herman and
Walt
Harris.
UFC Fight Night 180 will be topped by a featherweight grudge match
between Brian
Ortega and Chan Sung
Jung on Oct. 17 on Yas Island, United Arab Emirates. Also
featured on the card is a women’s flyweight scrap as former
strawweight queen Jessica
Andrade moves to 125 pounds against ex-title challenger
Katlyn
Chookagian.
