UFC newcomer Pietro Menga aims to exploit Tim Elliott's fighting style: 'He's all over the place'

WINNIPEG – Pietro Menga has only positive things to say about Tim Elliott’s character. When the topic of his fighting style comes up, though, the tone turns far more critical.

Elliott (14-8-1 MMA, 3-6 UFC), who welcomes Menga (13-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) to the octagon on Saturday at UFC on FOX 26, has one of the more unique and awkward fighting styles on the UFC roster. Several opponents have figured him out, but it’s rarely an easy accomplishment.

Menga said he hopes to make it look like a cakewalk in the FS1-televised flyweight preliminary bout, which takes place at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, prior to the main card on FOX. He said there’s nothing special about the way Elliott competes, and he plans on showing that in his UFC debut.

“I like how he carries himself. He doesn’t try to be something he’s not,” Menga told MMAjunkie. “He’s not fake, and he brings the fight. I don’t personally like the fighting style he’s got. I’m going to show why it doesn’t work on fight night, and I’m going to exploit him with my style and my weapons.

“I don’t like watching (him fight),” he continued. “It’s a professional sport. The fundamentals are clean; it should be pretty to the eye. He’s all over the place. He’s a wild one. But it’s mixed martial arts. We’re all martial artists, and we present ourselves our own way. My style of martial arts is going to be much superior to his style on fight night.”

Menga’s confidence is promising for a fighter who wasn’t even part of the UFC roster as of two weeks ago. Elliott originally was booked to fight Justin Scoggins, but the bout fell apart on short notice when Scoggins suffered a spinal injury. That opened the door for Menga, who has been pleading for his UFC opportunity for several years.

It’s been a long push to get signed by the UFC, Menga said. After the long wait, his plan was to travel to Las Vegas and attend the open tryouts for Season 27 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series. He was on the cusp of booking his flight when news of Scoggins’ injury came across the wire, and that’s when he knew his opportunity had finally arrived.

“It’s something I’ve kind of had in the back of my head for a while now with (debuting in the UFC on) short notice,” Menga said. “Once I decided to go through ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ I thought we’d forget about it for now. Then ironically it does happen, and now I’m really grateful for the position I’m in, the opportunity.

“I’d much prefer to go down the route I’ve gone down. I just wanted it to come a lot sooner,” Menga continued. “Either I’ll find my way, or I’ll make one. I wasn’t finding my way, so I decided I was going to make one. Now I’ve gone back to finding a way through UFC matchmakers getting in touch with me. I’m really happy with that.”

It may have taken Menga longer to get into the UFC than anticipated, but he can make up for a lot of lost time in is debut. Elliott is just over a year removed from challenging Demetrious Johnson for the UFC flyweight title and has shared the octagon with a majority of the best fighters at 125 pounds in recent years.

Menga said he’s fully aware of the upside to beating Elliott and admitted he’s glad there’s not much time to over-analyze the importance of the moment.

“It’s amazing. It’s not a crazy build-up that I’ve had for month,” Menga said. “It’s fresh, and I’m good. I’m here to put on a performance and enjoy it. That’s the thing about this. I’m enjoying the process.”

Although he’s primarily concentrated on winning his debut, Menga said he can’t help but allow his mind to linger about what could happen after. The Manchester-born fighter would like nothing more than to compete at UFC Fight Night 127 in London on March 17, and if all goes well there, he said he’s looking at himself as a serious title contender by this time next year.

“I’d like to go in, put on a huge performance, win this fight, go to UFC-London, and really announce myself to the UFC fans and Manchester fans and UK fans,” Menga said. “Then, in 2018, I want to be talking about title fights, talking serious about title fights.”

For more on UFC on FOX 26, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.