The MMA Daily

We have a pivotal fight in the Flyweight division, as Tim Elliott takes on Tagir Ulanbekov. A stalwart in the Flyweight division, Elliott will look to shake off a recent defeat Matheus Nicolau. Previous to the loss, Elliott had rattled off two straight wins. Something in which he has failed to do since 2012-2013. Meanwhile, Ulanbekov comes into to contest a winner of five straight, two of which have come inside the octagon. While Ulanbekov hasn’t exactly lit up the octagon in his two appearances, he’s done enough to crack the Flyweight division’s top fifteen.

As for a prediction, I have Elliott winning. While I expect Ulanbekov to look to implement a heavy wrestling approach, and probably succeed most of the time, Elliott has never been one to accept bottom position. With an excellent ability to scramble, Elliott can create havoc for grapplers. The one issue that has plagued Elliott, is his ability to put himself in disadvantageous positions. Given Ulanbekov has half his wins coming via submission, it would be wise to avoid this. However, besides Elliott’s ability to get up from bottom, he boast excellent cardio and a pace that can break fighters. If he can manage to wear down Ulanbekov and keep it standing for the majority of the round, he should able to sway the judges on striking alone. So with that said, I predict Elliott will win this fight via decision.