Volkan Oezdemir Returns At UFC Newark

Volkan Oezdemir has his next fight booked for his next fight under the UFC banner as he’s slated to return in August at the upcoming UFC Newark event. 

Oezdemir meets Ilir Latifi in a light heavyweight showdown. The UFC confirmed the fight booking on Tuesday. This fight was originally booked at the UFC Stockholm event that would’ve served as the co-main event. However, it was nixed after Latifi had to pull out due to a back injury.

Coming into the fight, Oezdemir is making a quick turnaround after dropping a third straight loss to Dominick Reyes at UFC London. He’s looking to rebound and get back on the path to a title shot. 

On the flip side, Latifi is fresh off a loss to Corey Anderson at UFC 232 in a unanimous decision defeat. His last win came at the expense of Ovince Saint Preux in February of 2018.

Also, Jim Miller faces off with Clay Guida in a veteran’s bout. UFC Newark (also known as UFC on ESPN 5) is set to take place on Saturday, August 3, 2019, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. 

The main card will air on ESPN while the preliminary card will be split broadcast on ESPN and the TV network’s streaming service, ESPN+. 

A welterweight showdown between Colby Covington and Robbie Lawler will headline the show. The promotion will be announcing more bouts in the coming weeks. Here is the updated card: 

• Welterweight bout: Colby Covington vs. Robbie Lawler
• Lightweight bout: Jim Miller vs. Clay Guida
• Welterweight bout: Cláudio Silva vs. Ramazan Emeev
• Lightweight bout: Nasrat Haqparast vs. Joaquim Silva
• Flyweight bout: Matt Schnell vs. Jordan Espinosa
• Lightweight bout: Scott Holtzman vs. Dong Hyun Ma
• Women’s Flyweight bout: Lauren Murphy vs. Mara Romero Borella
• Light heavyweight bout: Ilir Latifi vs. Volkan Oezdemir