Volkan Oezdemir Frustrated With Split-Decision Loss: 'I Clearly Won the Fight'

In the wake of the first decision loss of his career, Volkan Oezdemir isn’t sure what two of the cageside judges were watching.

Oezdemir, who was looking to break a personal worst two-fight losing streak, took on the surging Dominick Reyes last weekend at UFC London. While former title challenger Oezdemir was the higher-ranked fighter going into the event, the dynamic Reyes is considered by many to be a potential future champion. After three back-and-forth rounds, Reyes walked away with a split decision victory.

Speaking to assembled media after the event, “No Time” said he believed the judges’ decision was incorrect and that he had done enough in the fight to be awarded the win.

“Even the coaches of Reyes came to me -- before the judges’ announcement and after the judges’ announcement -- and told me I was winning the fight,” Oezdemir said. “I don’t want to say it’s bull----. Maybe I should have produced a little more, but I clearly won the fight. I was the better man tonight, and unfortunately the judges didn’t see it that way. I think he was good, but I don’t think he was as good as other people I’ve fought. But at the end of the day, he passed the test. I definitely think I’m going to take the fight if we get a rematch.”