Tim Elliott Sees Muhammad Mokaev As A 'Safe Fight' At UFC 294: 'There's No Fear Factor'

At this weekend’s UFC 294 pay-per-view, flyweight veteran Tim Elliott will look to continue his fine form inside the Octagon.

Elliott, who has competed on MMA’s biggest stage since 2012, has made the trip to Abu Dhabi as the #10-ranked contender at 125 pounds. He cemented that position courtesy of consecutive victories over Tagir Ulanbekov and Victor Altamirano.

Next, the 36-year-old Kansas native is tasked with defending his place against an undefeated prospect who many are branding a future champion, Muhammad Mokaev.

Since signing in 2021 as a decorated amateur, “The Punisher” has won four outings inside the Octagon to secure a number next to his name. With the deadline being March 2024 if he’s to break Jon Jones’ youngest UFC champion record, Mokaev is targeting an emphatic performance this Saturday at the Etihad Arena.

Elliott, however, is far from intimated.

Elliott: Mokaev Not As Good ‘As People Think’

During a recent interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Elliott looked ahead to his second taste of cage action this year and spoke on the man from whom he’ll stand across come fight night in the UAE.

Despite a sizable portion of the MMA community backing Mokaev to capture the division’s gold down the line, including former UFC middleweight kingpin Israel Adesanya, Elliott has zero “fear” ahead of sharing the Octagon with him.

“He’s great at being the hammer, but it’s hard to tell how good he is at being the nail,” Elliott said. “I think stylistically it’s a great fight for me. He’s not dangerous, he doesn’t have crazy knockout power, he doesn’t have crazy submissions.

“It’s a safe fight for me. There’s no fear factor in it,” Elliott continued. “It just makes it to where I can go out there and do my thing and not have to worry too much about what he’s doing… I don’t think he is as good as people think he is.”

While Elliott will look to prove that his pre-fight confidence was well placed when he makes the walk for the featured prelim on Saturday, “The Punisher” will be hoping to make his veteran counterpart pay for dismissing his threat.

"Being the villain being the good guy it doesn't matter to me, I love to fight."

Tim Elliot (@TElliott125) is ready to put on a show at #UFC294 🔊🆙

[@InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi]

— UFC News (@UFCNews) October 17, 2023

Read Also: Muhammad Mokaev Names Three Top 10 Flyweights He’s Targeting After UFC 294

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