Ex-title challenger Tim Elliott happy with 'Fight of the Night,' not too happy with 'B-level' performance

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – At UFC on FOX 24, Tim Elliott and Louis Smolka fought to a decision in a high-paced, thrilling flyweight affair that was later awarded “Fight of the Night” honors.

But while he did enough to outwork a busy Smolka (11-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) to earn a unanimous-decision victory and get high praise from the MMA community in the process, Elliott (14-7-1 MMA, 3-5 UFC) is not totally pleased with what he rated as a “B-level performance” on Saturday.

“I’m capable of a lot more,” Elliot said backstage, before the fight-night bonuses were announced. “I was too urgent. I didn’t have to be so urgent. I didn’t really stick to the game plan that well, but I’m still learning every day. I’m still getting better. I have a great group of coaches and a great group of guys behind me. I feel like even though this is my second run in the UFC, this is just the beginning for me.

“I’m not even too worried about the finish. I just want to do the things I’ve worked in camp. I want to fix the things that I didn’t have in the Demetrious Johnson fight. That’s why I left for Vegas. I tried to fill those holes. It didn’t happen the way I wanted to. I’ve got coaches telling me perfect things from the corner, and if I can just do a third of what they’re telling me, then I can beat anybody.”

The flyweight bout was part of the preliminary card of Saturday’s UFC on FOX 24 event at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. It aired on FOX following additional prelims on UFC Fight Pass and ahead of a main card on FOX.

This isn’t the first time that Elliott demonstrates a highly self-critical view of a fight. While the gritty display in the title affair with pound-for-pound great Johnson at December’s The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale certainly got him noticed, Elliott defined it as a “turd of a fight.”

While he cited weight-cut issues as one of the reasons why the “fans were robbed” of a good scrap then, Elliott felt great leading up to the scrap with Smolka. Which means a different type of frustration.

“This weight cut, this camp, everything was perfect,” Elliot said. “I don’t know. I just felt like I was a little sluggish in there. I know I can do better. I know I can perform a lot better than I did tonight. I’m glad I got the win, but I expect a lot out of myself, and I want to prove to my coaches that I’m listening, and that I’m learning and that I can do the things they’re telling me to do.”

Another difference, Elliot said, was in the levels of expectation that surrounded each fight. After all, while Smolka walked into their scrap riding a two-fight skid, Elliot had in Johnson a dominant champ who’s been the favorite in every single fight for quite some time.

“When I fought Demetrious Johnson, I had no fear,” Elliot said. “I had nothing to lose. Everybody already thought that I was going to get beat, so I just went out and had fun. This fight, I felt a lot of pressure. I felt like everybody expected me to win. I feel like I was supposed to win because I’m better than this guy. And I got a little bit scared to lose, and that’s not my fighting style.

“I like to go out and just do me. I was worried about him and me. And I’m not smart enough for that. I’m only smart enough to worry about what I can do. I can’t be worrying about what he’s doing, and that’s just – my fight IQ is in the middle, and I need it to be up here, and that’s why I’m doing the things I’m doing. I’m still learning, I’m still getting better. and it will come around, I have no doubt about that.”

Elliott, whose wrestling ended up being the key against the grappling-savvy Smolka, said he also got hurt early in the fight. But he won’t take away from his opponent’s contribution to the competitive affair.

“I hurt myself in the first takedown,” Elliott said. “I took him down. I landed my face right into the mat. I rocked myself, so I was little bit worried on my feet. I got a little bit crossed on my vision, so I wanted to keep the fight close. I didn’t want to give him a lot of space, so I just reverted back to what I know, and that’s wrestling. I just tried to get as many takedowns as I could.

“Props to him. e was squirmy. He was faster than I thought. He’s a great fighter and a great opponent, and he gave me a heck of a fight.”

The fact is that Elliot has now officially rebounded from the Johnson loss and is back in the win column. And as displeased as may be with them, his most recent displays have certainly leveraged him to a good place in the 125-pound division.  But don’t expect this “TUF” winner to use his momentum to issue callouts.

“I want exciting fights,” Elliott said. “I want good guys, and that the matchups the UFC has been making for me are perfect. It doesn’t really matter who I fight. I just want to put on a good show and try to get some bonus money.”

To hear Elliott’s own assessment of UFC on FOX 24’s “Fight of the Night,” check out the video above.