Kaan Ofli received’t be happy with simply successful The Final Fighter 32.
The Australian-Turkish veteran competes this Saturday at UFC Vegas 96 within the finals of this season’s featherweight match in opposition to fellow Crew Alexa Grasso fighter Mairon Santos (13-1), with the winner incomes a UFC contract. Ofli, 31, has waited 10 years for his probability to not solely compete contained in the octagon, however to overcome it.
In an interview with MMA Preventing, Ofli gave a agency timeline on when he expects to problem for UFC gold.
“I give myself about two to two-and-a-half years to be preventing for the belt,” Ofli mentioned. “I need to be energetic, I need to struggle 3 times subsequent yr. I need to struggle early within the yr, in Australia. I need to struggle midyear, June, July, after which I need to struggle on the finish of the yr. Between Australia, Abu Dhabi, Europe, I’m going to mainly inform the UFC, ‘Pay attention, that is my plan, since you guys higher plan yourselves as a result of that is what I need.’
“There’s been many guys which have fought for the belt at their fifth or sixth struggle, and [I can too] if I maintain successful. I’m presently on a 10-fight win streak together with my two current wins [on TUF 32], although they’re exhibition fights, no matter, I don’t care.”
Heading into the TUF home, Ofli sported an 11-2-1 report competing for promotions resembling Australia’s Hex Battle Collection, in addition to Courageous Fight Federation and UAE Warriors. He was coach Alexa Grasso’s second featherweight choice and didn’t disappoint, defeating Cage Warriors prospect Nathan Fletcher and South African grappler Roedie Roets en path to the finale.
“Genghis” expects to hit the bottom operating and put collectively a win streak that may make him the No. 1 contender in brief time. He was one of the vital skilled fighters on the TUF 32 roster and counts former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski amongst his previous coaching companions.
“The mathematics works out, however I’ve additionally educated with Volkanovski just a few instances,” Ofli mentioned. “We’ve type of had a mutual friendship. He invited me one time to assist him with the Korean Zombie struggle. Due to that relationship, I may by no means verbally say that I needed to be the UFC champion as a result of I’m humble and I’m respectful, and I felt like there was a little bit little bit of a block as a result of he was the champ and we’re each Aussies and we each educated collectively and whatnot.
“Now that he isn’t the champion, I’ve acquired a lot extra confidence saying what I need to say and what I really feel, and that’s what I really really feel. That’s why I consider in myself.”
When Ofli first sparred with Volkanovski, he admits it didn’t go properly. Nonetheless, as soon as Ofli turned extra comfy with the UFC star, he’s assured that he gave Volkanovski a run for his cash.
“In all honesty, I used to be a little bit bit starstruck,” Ofli mentioned of first working with Volkanovski. “I had simply had COVID too, so I had simply acquired over COVID, after which I heard he was within the health club. I used to be like, ‘I’ve acquired to take this opportunity. I’ve acquired to spar with the champ.’ I didn’t do pretty much as good as I’d have thought, and it was additionally as a result of I used to be giving a lot respect to this man. Because the rounds went on and I began basically not respecting him as a lot and simply treating it like a struggle, I began doing higher and higher.
“Then, the following time I educated with him — the explanation why he invited me to coach with him is clearly as a result of I’m good and that I used to be giving him good work —the final time I acquired to coach with him was in New Zealand at Metropolis Kickboxing. We’ve had just a few interactions, and there’s no disrespect to him, I’m not saying something unhealthy in the direction of that man, he’s an incredible man, however he’s on the finish of his profession. He’s Alexander ‘The Nice’ and I’m ‘Gengis Kaan the Nice,’ so it’s time for me to cross.”
By the point Ofli arrived in Las Vegas to shoot TUF 32, he’d spent loads of cagetime with elite fighters, and that pattern continued with Grasso’s teaching workers. Among the many names chosen to help Grasso was featherweight contender Diego Lopes.
Ofli and Lopes have shared the coaching room, and if Ofli’s championship plan is to come back to fruition, there’s an excellent probability they’ll share the octagon within the close to future.
“I used to be serious about that,” Ofli mentioned. “Me and Diego had a few rounds sparring and grappling and stuff. Clearly, within the warmth of the second, I used to be similar to, ‘He’s an superior man. He’s being actually pleasant, he’s being actually useful.’ Now I’m serious about it, ‘Hey, wait a second. You possibly can’t be preventing No. 3 [Brian Ortega], I need that too.’ So there’s an opportunity that me and him may struggle and I’d love that struggle, however I don’t need to promote that or say that proper now simply out of respect.”
