Kaan Ofli | The Conqueror Comes Home

As much as we speak of “home games” and “going into enemy territory” in this sport, Ofli’s use of that particular jargon runs deeper than simply being one of several Aussies set to compete in Sydney later this month.

The 32-year-old is of Turkish heritage and sports the nom de pugilism “Genghis,” which results in his introductions harkening back to the founder and first khan of the Mongol Empire, Genghis Khan. And last October, it was Ofli who went on the road, invading the homeland of Ricardo Ramos before registering his first win inside the Octagon in Rio de Janeiro, much to the dismay of the vocal and partisan crowd at Farmasi Arena.

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“It felt exactly like I thought it would feel,” he said when asked about securing the first-round submission win over Ramos. “I really locked in for that. I was trying to visualize and prepare for the hostility as much as possible and if I wanna embrace the inner Genghis Khan, this is how it’s gonna be, so to come out with a big upset like that was an amazing feeling.

“That’s why we do this sport and that’s the highs and lows of this sport,” Ofli continued. “That’s the reward you get for the sacrifice… When you really leave no stone unturned and you focus, you don’t have any distractions, you make sacrifices and you come out with the win? That feeling is — I can’t put that to words or feelings; it’s something you have to experience yourself. It makes all the sacrifices, all the hardship, all the early mornings, late nights worth it.”

After stumbling out of the gates and going on the road to collect his initial victory, Ofli is back home in Australia, feeling like a massive weight has been lifted off his shoulders and eager to see if he can give the raucous masses that are sure to pack Qudos Bank Arena something to get rowdy about in the early goings at UFC 325.

“It can’t feel heavier than being two down and going into enemy territory with 20,000 people booing you; it can’t get worse than that,” joked Ofli, who carries a 12-4-1 record. “If anything, the script is flipped a little bit: I’m gonna have 20,000 people behind me, cheering, hopefully, and I’ve got that momentum back where I’ve put those first two losses behind me.

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“I definitely don’t feel as much pressure as I did with my first fight, or even the Naimov fight,” continued the Absolute MMA representative. “I’m gonna be feeling great, feeling confident going in, and put on an amazing performance for the home crowd.”

Now three fights and 18 months into his tenure as a member of the promotion’s featherweight ranks — and coming off a dominant effort last time out — Ofli is finally feeling settled into life on the biggest stage in the sport and ready to build off his win over Ramos.

“That’s exactly how I’m feeling and I’m looking forward to unleashing that confidence, that composure, and knowing in the back of my mind that I’ve gone through the ups and downs,” he said. “I’ve traveled here, traveled there, gone through those couple losses, The Ultimate Fighter, all that.

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“It’s all an amazing experience and it’s not been a straight path, but that has been my life anyway, so I’m really embracing that and I feel like I’m in a really good place.”

The man he’ll face in Sydney, Yizha, also made his way to the roster through one of the organization’s talent search competitions, having won the featherweight tournament in the second season of Road to UFC.

Since then, the 28-year-old Enbo Fight Club product has shown his moxie in a decision loss to Gabriel Santos and his menacing power in a 37-second knockout win over Westin Wilson, which brought his record to an accomplished 26-5 as he begins his 11th year as a professional mixed martial artist.

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“I think Yizha is talented; he’s an all-around good fighter,” Ofli said. “I believe he’s good everywhere. I give him a lot of respect, and I believe his main attributes are probably his fitness and his durability, his heart… I’m giving him a lot of respect, so I’m again leaving no stone unturned. I’m confident in my preparation and in what I need to do to beat him, and I’m really looking forward to an exciting fight.”

He’s also looking forward to getting his hand raised at home and having UFC 325 be the start of an active, successful year inside the Octagon.

“Bro…” he said, the three letters drawn out for emphasis. “Getting my hand raised in Sydney — because I haven’t had a chance to fight in Australia, New Zealand yet, I believe I’m gonna get a huge surge of fans and really solidify my position in the UFC, so I’m really looking forward to it.

“Coming off that Ramos fight and not being injured, being able to get straight back into training camp is a big thing for me. There have only been a couple times in my career where I’ve backed up a fight in a short period of time, so I’m in great shape and starting with one of the first cards of the year gives me a lot of space.

“My goals is to fight at least two, three times in 2026,” Ofli added, mapping out his idea schedule for the year ahead. “So naturally with fighting in Feb, maybe May, June, and then something a few months later.

“I want to stay active, I want to get three big wins, and I think by end of the year, I want to be fighting somebody in the Top 10.”