EXCLUSIVE | Volkan Oezdemir explains why fight with “Shogun” was moved from Chile to Germany

Originally, recent UFC light heavyweight title challenger Volkan Oezdemir was expected to collide with former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in the co-main event of the UFC’s May 19 debut in Santiago, Chile. In the end, however, the bout was relocated to the main event of the UFC’s July 22 stop in Hamburg, Germany, as a result of the legal issues Oezdemir is currently dealing with in the United States.

Apparently, timing was the primary reason that Oezdemir’s fight with Shogun was moved from Santiago to Hamburg. His case in the United States has been moving more slowly than expected, which rendered the July date in Hamburg far more straightforward than the originally slated May date in Santiago.

Oezdemir explained on the latest episode of BJ Penn Radio:

“It’s just that the opposite side were slow to present their discovery, so it delayed the whole affair,” Oezdemir said. “So they just gave me some extra months, and then that’s why I wasn’t about to leave to go to Chile. I feel bad also for the Chilean fans and the crowd over there, because I wanted to go there and compete in this country. That was something I was really looking forward to, but now I got a new date.”

“We just postponed the fight,” Oezdemir continued, admitting he’s pleased the fight will now occur close to his native Switzerland. “It’s close to home, in my neighboring country Germany, and I got promoted to a main event, so that’s even more amazing for me, so it’s crazy. Things turned out so great for me.”

“I’m really happy with the help from the UFC and their understanding also,” Oezdemir concluded.

Do you think Volkan Oezdemir will return to winning ways when he collides with Shogun in Hamburg, Germany?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 5/4/2018.