Volkan Oezdemir vs. Jiři Procházka in the Works for UFC 251 on July 11th.

Mandatory Credit: Esther Lin - MMA Fighting & RIZIN FF 

A high-stakes light heavyweight pairing between strikers, Volkan 'No Time' Oezdemir, and Jiři 'Denisa' Procházka is currently targeted to feature at UFC 251 on July 11th. - with 'Fight Island' in Abu Dhabi, expected to host the event.

The two were tentatively expected to meet in the co-headliner of UFC Fight Night Dublin in August - beneath a middleweight meeting of Robert Whittaker, and Darren Till until the card was shelved amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

On a two-fight rise, one-time title challenger, Oezdemir knocked back rising prospect, Aleksandar Rakić at UFC Fight Night Busan in December. Procházka will make his highly-anticipated promotional debut, after his signing from RIZIN FF back in January. News of the expected pairing was first reported by ESPN reporter, Brett Okamoto.

Oezdemir, 30 - will attempt to earn a second title tilt in the promotion, following a run of two straight wins. The Fribourg native took home the above-noted close split decision judging over Rakić, following a second-round knockout over Ilir Latifi at UFC Fight Night Montevideo last August. With twelve career stoppages via strikes, Oezdemir earned a UFC 220 meeting with then champion, Daniel Cormier, after finishing both Jimi Manuwa and Misha Cirkunov - both inside the opening minute.

In the midst of a ten fight winning spree, Czech Republic native, Procházka - a former RIZIN FF light heavyweight champion, will make his first Octagon appearance in July. The 27-year-old last competed at RIZIN 20 on New Year's Eve - finishing UFC alumnus, C.B. Dollaway with strikes just before the two-minute mark.

Prior to that stoppage, the twenty-third of his career, Procházka had taken other notable wins over former Strikeforce 205-pound best, 'King Mo' Muhammad Lawal, another former Octagon contender, Fábio Maldonado, former Bellator middleweight titleholder, Brandon Halsey, as well as veteran submission-specialist, Satoshi Ishii.