UFC Fighter Oban Elliott’s Ascent: “The Sky is the Limit”

Oban Elliott secured his most recent win during the preliminary fights of the event where Jon Jones defeated Stipe Miocic. On Saturday night, as the Welsh fighter was about to enter a globally renowned venue, his mixed martial arts idol, Chael Sonnen, told him, “I believe in you stud.” Any apprehension Elliott might have felt reportedly vanished upon hearing those five words. The welterweight from Merthyr Tydfil proceeded to the octagon at Madison Square Garden in New York and gave an exceptional performance. This showing ultimately earned him a $50,000 (£39,612) bonus for performance of the night. In the third round, the ‘Welsh Gangster’ landed a powerful right hand, fulfilling the sentiment expressed by the ‘American Gangster’, leading to his TKO victory over Bassil Hafez. This strike was reminiscent of boxing legend Joe Calzaghe, who had defeated Roy Jones Jr at the identical location 16 years earlier. Elliott stated, “To get it done in Madison Square Garden, like I always dreamed of, my first finish [in the UFC] in MSG, that will live forever.” He added, “I know what I can do in the octagon and to go out and do it regardless of the stage, to go out and get it done in the UFC is big enough.” This win concluded an impressive inaugural year for Elliott within the promotion. He holds the distinction of being the first Welshman to compete on three pay-per-view cards, emerging victorious in all three appearances. Following two victories by decision, Elliott achieved his initial finish. This was crucial for the Welshman, as one judge had scored the fight up to that point two rounds to zero in favor of Hafez. He further commented, “Don’t leave it in the hands of the judges.” He continued, “I’ve done that a lot lately, so maybe it would have been karma if I’d done that again.” This triumph advances Elliott’s professional record to 12-2. The 26-year-old, who is presently on an eight-fight winning streak, demonstrates improvement with each contest. Elliott remarked, “The sky is the limit, I’m going to keep getting better and better every fight.” He also stated, “Every time you do the walk out, the weight cut, you improve as a man.” During his post-fight press conference, Elliott honored the legendary figures who had competed in the identical arena. He commented, “I’m big on history, I think the greatest human being to ever walk the Earth was Muhammad Ali.” He added, “I stood on the same scales as him and Joe Frazier stood [in 1971].” He concluded, “I took comfort in thinking I was taking part in this historical weekend before the fight had even unfolded, it was amazing.” Both the event and its location fulfilled the aspirations Elliott had developed early in his career. He further explained, “When I was [fighting] in the pubs, in my own little head I was in MSG pinging the shots off.” He continued, “It’s been a lifetime of dreaming, a lifetime of working, it’s not always come my way but I’m glad I never gave up, it’s so surreal.” Elliott expressed gratitude to his family members who were present, including his mother, brother, cousins, and numerous aunts and uncles, all there to offer their support. Elliott reflected, “To go from where I’ve come from and what I’ve been through in my life, I get to give moments like that to my family now.” He added, “I’ll be a proud man forever and nobody can take that off me.” He also honored his father, Paul, who died by suicide when Oban was seven years old. “My father is always with me because I had a flag made when he died and it’s as old as the time he passed away.” Oban Elliott’s flag is consistently brought to the cage within the pocket of his coach, Richard Shore. Given that the UFC has announced a Fight Night event in London for March 2025, Elliott might aim for another fight on home soil, building on his July victory against Preston Parsons in Manchester. Nevertheless, the promotion has not yet confirmed any matchups for that specific event. Elliott stated, “We’re still just scratching the surface.” He added, “I’ve got a mental career planned out and it’s slowly starting to unfold in front of everyone else.” Before the bout, Elliott acquired a new tattoo across the upper part of his chest, which displays the phrase ‘fortes fortuna adiuvat’ – meaning fortune favours the brave. Based on performances such as the one on Saturday night in New York, Elliott appears poised to adhere to that principle as his promising combat sports career progresses.