'Turd of a fight' vs. Demetrious Johnson behind him, Tim Elliott wants war vs. Louis Smolka

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Prior to facing UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson last December, Tim Elliott found himself in weight-cutting hell.

On his way to winning “The Ultimate Fighter 24,” which earned him a title shot against “Mighty Mouse,” Elliott made 125 pounds in four consecutive Wednesdays, which he described as a brutal experience. Afterward, he said he ballooned up to a “gelatinous” 164 pounds before starting the “worst weight cut I’ve ever had by far” ahead of losing a unanimous decision to Johnson at the “TUF 24” Finale.

Now, as he gets set to face Louis Smolka at UFC on FOX 24, Elliott is grateful for the way he feels physically and only wishes it was like this ahead of his title shot.

“My body is back to normal. My mind is back to normal,” Elliott told MMAjunkie on Wednesday. “So I took a lot of things away from the Demetrious Johnson fight, mostly that he can be beat. He’s human; he makes mistakes. I wasn’t at my best. That was the worst I’ve ever felt in a fight. … Hopefully a couple more wins, and I’ll get a rematch with him.”

UFC on FOX 24 takes place Saturday at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. The main card airs on FOX following prelims on FOX – with the Elliott-Smolka flyweight bout kicking things off – and UFC Fight Pass.

Elliott (13-7-1 MMA, 2-5 UFC) pushed Johnson (25-2-1 MMA, 13-1-1 UFC) the way nobody has during the champ’s nine-fight title defense streak with a gritty performance. And that was while Elliott felt like crap.

So who knows? Had his body been in better condition, it could be champion Elliott headlining Saturday in his hometown. There’s no sense in dwelling on that, though. Because at this point he mostly just wishes he’d given the fans a better fight.

“I don’t want to say had I felt good I would’ve beaten Demetrious Johnson, but I think the fight could’ve been better for sure,” Elliott said. “My record sucks already. So counting wins and losses for me is not a big deal. I’m not trying to build a big record. The only thing I have going for me is excitement.

“I feel like the first round (against Johnson) was exciting, and then it was boring after that. It was a terrible fight to watch. I feel like I got robbed of a really good fight, and I feel like the fans got robbed of a really good fight. … Instead it was one good round, then it was a turd of a fight.”

Elliott, who hasn’t won in the UFC since August 2013, expects the opposite against Smolka, who is on a two-fight skid. The fact that neither has won in a while makes this a dangerous encounter for both fighters, which is something Elliott relishes.

“I love this fight. I like exciting fights,” Elliott said. “I don’t mind losing. I want to go out on my shield. If I’m going to lose I want to be knocked out or bloody or exhausted or hurt. That’s what I’m in the game for. I want excitement. If I’m going to die, I want to die on my shield. I don’t want to die in a boring fight.

“Smolka is one of those guys that I’m not going to have to look for. He’s going to be right in my face. He comes forward, he throws crazy strikes, he’s active off his back. I live for fights like this. I think he’s a great opponent, a good opportunity to get bonus money, and that’s really what I’m looking for.”

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