Oezdemir: Title Shot Likely in January

Volkan Oezdemir says a title fight with Daniel Cormier is all but confirmed and could potentially happen at UFC 220 in January pic.twitter.com/H3IWSjga2m

— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) November 5, 2017

When Volkan Oezdemir, knocked out Jimi Manuwa back at UFC 214 in July, some may have confirmed in their minds that Oezdemir would get the next crack at the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.

If Oezdemir is to be believed, that will ring true. While being interviewed backstage at UFC 217, Oezdemir said that his shot at Cormier is likely. Furthermore, the title fight could take place at UFC 220 on January 20 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Oezdemir’s response to the matter, as asked by Ariel Helwani, can be found in the video above.

Cormier recently confirmed that the bout is all but official, as of yesterday at a UFC 217 media lunch (per MMA Junkie)

There is no official confirmation for this bout from the UFC as of Saturday night.

Oezdemir was not the only UFC star not competing at UFC 217 with title shot talk around them. Women’s flyweight fighter Paige VanZant stated via Twitter that her next bout in the Octagon would be against whomever becomes the inaugural UFC Women’s Flyweight champion — which will be determined on Dec. 1 at the finale of this season’s The Ultimate Fighter.

ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, however, says VanZant’s claims are incorrect and UFC officials do not have such plans in the making.

My next fight is against the winner of the 125 division Ultimate Fighter. Don’t blink.

— Paige VanZant (@PaigeVanzantUFC) November 5, 2017

Just spoke to UFC officials, who say there are no plans of a Paige VanZant 125-pound title fight being formalized as of right now.

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) November 5, 2017

FIGHT SPORTS will continue to update this story as it develops.