Tim Elliot: Ali Bagautinov’s headhunting ‘makes my job super easy’ at UFC 167

Some fighters are concerned when facing an opponent with significant punching power, but for UFC 167's Tim Elliott, the threat of a knockout simplifies things.

With the UFC’s 20th anniversary fight card just days away, Elliott (10-3-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) is finalizing his preparations for dangerous Russian flyweight Ali Bagautinov (11-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), a fighter who has won three straight fights via knockout.

With Bagautinov’s “Puncher King” nickname, Elliott is aware of what he must look out for on Saturday night, and ultimately he views that as beneficial.

“I definitely think he’s dangerous, but that’s it,” Elliott told MMAjunkie Radio. “He can knock you out, but if that’s all I have to worry about, then that makes my job super easy.”

Elliott’s lack of fear when it comes to Bagautinov’s power is based off previous experiences. The 26-year-old made his octagon debut this past year against arguably the most talented knockout artist in the flyweight division, John Dodson, and he went the full 15 minutes.

Having survived Dodson’s attacks gave Elliott newfound confidence, and he said he’s taking it into the fight.

“I feel like I’m a 10 times better fighter than I was when I fought John Dodson, and I think John Dodson is 10 times better than Ali B.,” Elliott said. “I don’t think he’s going to have any more power than John Dodson, so my game plan is going to be the same,

“[I'm going to] stay in his face and make him work, and I don’t think he’s going to be able to catch me with one of those huge punches.”

For one of the biggest fight cards of the year, and perhaps one of the most promoted in company history, Elliott and Bagautinov have the honor of kicking off the pay-per-view main card, which takes place at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena following FOX Sports 1 and MMAjunkie.com prelims.

Opening the PPV broadcast and setting the tone for the evening is a major responsibility, but for this specific event, it’s critical to show fans they made the right choice ordering the historic event. Elliott is aware of that pressure, and though other fighters may be fazed by it, the Missouri native welcomes it.

“I thrive on that,” Elliott said. “I love the pressure, and I like having a good opponent. I feel like the tougher my opponent is the better I fight. … The pressure of the main card, I’m going to feed off that, and it’ll bring out the best in me.”

With two straight wins under his belt since losing to Dodson in his debut, Elliott is slowly creeping up the ranks and into title contention at 125 pounds. After winning a “Fight of the Night” bonus at UFC 164, Elliott hopes to produce a similar effort at UFC 167 and become the next man in line for Demetrious Johnson’s belt.

“I’m hoping to get another ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus,” Elliott said. “If I do that on this card, it’s really going to show something, and hopefully I’ll get in line for a title shot.”

For more on UFC 167, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.