While UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier is defending the gold against Jon Jones in the main event of UFC 214, the British slugger in Jimi Manuwa faces Volkan Oezdemir on the main card.
According to Manuwa himself, the UFC President in Dana White guaranteed the fighter a light heavyweight title shot if he can get past Oezdemir.
“I’m okay, I can’t argue with Jon Jones getting the fight,” Manuwa said on The MMA Hour. “He’s one of the greatest fighters of all-time, like I said before. I believe I’ll knock Volkan out and Dana said I’ll get a title shot after that, so if one more person has to get it, then so be it.”
Manuwa would have gotten the title shot at UFC 214 if Jones opted for a warm up fight before facing DC, but things didn’t go Manuwa’s way this time around.
Oezdemir has only competed twice thus far in the UFC, but that doesn’t mean that he isn’t a dangerous opponent for Manuwa.
“I have a very tough fight in Volkan and he’s looked impressive in his two fights,” Manuwa said. “He fought OSP [Ovince Saint Preux] and he just fought Misha Cirkunov, knocked him out in 28 seconds. So yeah, he's looked good in his two fights in the UFC, but I’m going to welcome him into the upper echelon of the division and show him what’s what.”
UFC 214 takes place on Saturday, July 29 from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California with Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
