Earlier this year, some people in the mixed martial arts community were surprised when the UFC decided to cut flyweight Tim Elliott from the promotion.
He was cut following his lost to Zach Makovsky at UFC Fight Night 60 and it was his third straight defeat. However, he was still a top 15 flyweight and was known as a fighter that put on entertaining fights for the fans.
Following his release from the UFC, Elliott signed with Titan FC and will be fighting for the vacant flyweight title in two weeks when he meets Iliarde Santos at Titan FC 34.
Elliott (10-6-1) admitted to The MMA Report in a interview that will be played on tomorrow’s edition of The MMA Report Live that life has been great since his exit from the UFC. He would explain that while he was in the UFC, he was unable to be the type of fighter he wanted to be.
“If I was still in the UFC, I am sure it would make a difference,” Elliott said. “I always fought a little reserved in the UFC. They had a bunch of rules and I was kind of scared to let myself fight the way I really want to fight. Now that I am in Titan and I don’t have all of these rules, I don’t have to worry so much. There is so much stress taken off my shoulders. I feel like I will be about to go out there and do the things in the cage that I have always wanted to do. Now that I have the skills to back it up, I think I will be even better honestly.”
When Elliott says he “fought reserved” in the UFC, what does he mean?
“It’s all about wins and losses in the UFC. It’s not about putting on a show and being exciting,” he explained. “Winning is everything and that is how I was in the fight game awhile ago. It was all about winning, but now it’s all about being exciting. I want to have fun and if I can’t go out and do the things I have been trying in practice in fear of being cut — I feel like it held me back a little bit.”
“From going out there and attempting things because I was so worried about losing. Not because what it did for my record, because I did not want to get fired from the UFC. Now I do not have to worry about that and try things. Just really have fun and I think that will make me more exciting and do better. I have notice with my training since I had the baby. Rather than doing two or three a day, I have only been one practice a day. But I have noticed myself getting better in practice, trying new things, and I am not dreading going into practice. I feel healthily and I am having fun.”
In two weeks, he will look to take home his first MMA title belt when he meets Santos, who is also a former UFC fighter. Santos (28-9-1, 1NC) was released by the UFC in 2013 and won his Titan FC debut at the end of last year when he defeated Nick Honstein by unanimous decision. While Elliott knows he is facing a tough guy, there is a certain aspect of Santos’ game that makes him dangerous.
“The thing I like about this fight is there is no back up in this guy,” Elliott stated. “He is not going to run and he is not going to avoid the action. He is coming straight forward and trying to finish the fight. That is what makes him dangerous. He does not care about I might get tired later. He is going to worry about that when the time comes. He goes out there and gives it everything he has from the start of the round until the end. Sometimes he gasses, but a lot of the times, he is finishing guys. He has the submission factor and the knockout power.”
Be sure to check out everything that Elliott told The MMA Report on tomorrow’s edition of The MMA Report Live at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT.