Oban Elliott admits the second acquired to him in his UFC debut this previous February.
Regardless of leaving with a unanimous choice win over Val Woodburn, the Contender Sequence alum overpassed all of the exhausting work he endured to earn his spot on the UFC roster, and as a substitute virtually felt like he didn’t should be there. Preventing within the promotion was a dream come true for him, however Elliott realized a number of weeks after his debut that he simply wasn’t himself within the cage that evening.
“I felt like final time I used to be very fanboyish about the entire thing,” Elliott mentioned on The MMA Hour. “I really feel like I owe a little bit of an apology as a result of I’m a bit irritated at myself, by all of it. The entire event, I felt like I forgot how a lot I truly belonged there.
“I used to be having fun with myself after the final one. It was cool. It was like, ‘What a primary week of labor that was!’ However because it’s unfolded, I spotted [that] after all I’m excited by it, however I’m not going to be some little fan. I’m a world-class fighter combating within the UFC. I should be right here. I suppose everyone goes by it quietly, however I went by it. Now my head’s within the excellent place.”
Whereas he positively acquired caught up in all of the lights and hoopla that surrounds a UFC occasion, Elliot additionally acknowledges he had lots driving on his debut as properly.
After profitable a majority choice over Kaik Brito on Contender Sequence, Elliott wasn’t even certain he’d get supplied a UFC contract. That was echoed in a post-fight dialog he shared with UFC CEO Dana White after he acquired phrase that he could be becoming a member of the UFC roster.
“Contender Sequence, the way in which that struggle went and Dana [White] was like, ‘Oh, I’m on the fence for this one,’” Elliott recounted. “He advised me when he signed me, ‘Watch out what you want for, child.’ I all the time sort of thought of that.
“The primary problem was coping with the event. That was sort of the entire problem behind it. I went out on my debut, flew throughout to the Honda Middle, I fought on a pay-per-view like that, and nearly every thing I ever dreamed of taking place occurred all within the house of a few days earlier than I acquired the outcome.”
The excellent news is Elliott feels he acquired all the nervous power out in his UFC debut and he expects a a lot better exhibiting in opposition to Preston Parsons at UFC 304 on Saturday.
“I really feel just like the strain’s off me,” Elliott mentioned. “The strain’s lastly off me. Even like I’m speaking to you now, like, the strain’s off me. I’m speaking to you as if we’re on the pub having a chat. All of it. The chains are off.”
The timing for UFC 304 labored out completely in addition to Elliott was coping with some small accidents that saved him sidelined after his struggle in February.
With the UFC touchdown in England for a pay-per-view card, the 26-year-old Welsh fighter desperately wished to compete on the occasion however he wasn’t certain he’d be healed in time.
Fortunately, he was cleared to return, and some days later, Elliot acquired the decision he wished.
“It was an honor,” Elliott mentioned. “It was very cool. I gained’t go into element, however after the final struggle, I had a few bumps and bruises and I didn’t truly get cleared to struggle till in a while. I used to be going forwards and backwards. The UFC takes care of you in terms of your well being, 100%. However clearly it’s all good, I had the clearance and it was like three days later they put me on the cardboard.
“I used to be pondering I used to be possibly not going to get on this card as a result of I wasn’t eligible for being matched. However actually the Friday I mentioned I used to be all good, I wanted it off a health care provider principally, and by the Wednesday, I had a struggle come by. That’s an honor.”
