Light heavyweight contender Volkan Oezdemir was arrested last weekend for his role in an apparent bar room altercation.
Oezdemir was rumored to be next in line for a title shot, but UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier says he is willing to faces either Alexander Gustafsson or Ovince St. Preux if Oezdemir’s legal situation keeps him out of action.
“Of course, I’d fight any of these guys. It doesn’t matter. This guy’s on the longest win streak in the division so he was getting the title shot but if this trouble is gonna keep him out of the opportunity, I’ll just go to the next guy. So of course I’d fight Gustafsson and someone told me yesterday that Team Ovince Saint Preux was like, ‘We want a title fight because we’ve got a good winning streak too.’ Whoever is winning gets the title shot, that’s just the way it is. I don’t care who it is,” DC said on The Anik & Florian Podcast.
Gustafsson has previously fought twice before for the UFC Light Heavyweight Title, while OSP has previously fought for the UFC Interim Light Heavyweight Title.
Cormier does admit that what Oezdemir is going to be going through after the arrest will prove to be a tough situation.
“It’s tough to be going through this type of thing, especially at this time when you’re on the cusp of your biggest moment of your career. I don’t know what happened. You’ve got to not be doing things that are wrong or put yourself in these situations where stuff can go sideways. You’ve got to try to stay out of those positions. Maybe it was self-defense but because he is who is is, it’s much worse because he has the ability to sleep dudes that are trying to hit him. You never know what’s happening but even these run-ins, they’re really unneeded, especially when you’re a young guy as Volkan is and you’re on the cusp of something so big for the first time in your career,” says Cormier.
There is currently no date for DC’s next title defense, but rumors have suggested that he could be in action at UFC 220 this January.
