Canada’s own Elias Theodorou looks forward to kicking off the second chapter of his martial arts journey at UFC Ottawa this weekend.
Ottawa, ON — For Elias Theodorou, UFC Ottawa represents a first. It’s his first co-main event slot in the UFC. Another feather in the cap of The Ultimate Fighter: Nations winner, who has gone 8-2 through his first ten fights in the UFC. A chance to break into the top ten, with a win over opponent Derek Brunson.
It also represents the start of his second chapter. It may seem odd that a fighter young in the sport, though 30, is talking about a second chapter. Yet a UFC profile on Theodorou earlier this week called UFC Ottawa the unofficial start of just that. And looking a bit closer, the label makes sense.
“There’s a couple of things, and milestones,” Theodorou pointed out when it comes to the reason for turning the page. “This is my fifth year in the UFC. I just celebrated that April 16, when I won The Ultimate Fighter.” How time flies. Theodorou defeated Sheldon Westcott in the all-Canadian finale of the show, which pitted Canadian fighters against Australians. “And I think it’s in June-ish, I’ll be celebrating my tenth year in martial arts,” he continued. “It’s a milestone in a sense of, a kid, I don’t want to say a kid, a man-child at 21 that stepped into a gym and had the audacity to go from fan to top ten.”
The top ten ranking isn’t there quite yet. The number next to Theodorou’s name currently sits at 13. Brunson is ranked 9th in the middleweight division. On paper, however, this is certainly the fight to propel ‘The Mane Event’ into the top ten, with a strong showing.
Yet if we’re talking second chapters, it’s worth noting that Theodorou is now thirty. He got his start in martial arts late, but there’s no denying the fact that athletic primes tend to end in the early thirties.
Still, Theodorou sees a few things working in his favor. “The larger someone is, usually the longer of a career that they have. Speed goes first, not power,” he observed. “You can obviously look at the example of someone like George Foreman at 40, winning the title. Then statistically speaking, in regards to heavyweights. The median age in my weight class is 35. The guy that I’m fighting is five years older than me. I’m still the younger guy in the middleweight division.”
“Obviously there’s pros and cons in regards to starting so late,” he admitted. But it’s the positives that he chooses to focus on. “I don’t have any of the wear and tear, some of the damage, in regards to injuries. And I started as a blank canvas. Derek Brunson, he resorts back to that wild [style], he resorts back to that wrestling in desperation. Where I try to be as cerebral as possible, and find ways to win. I think my record speaks for myself.”
“At the end of this week, I’ll be 18-2,” he finished.
Elias Theodorou takes on Derek Brunson in the co-main event of UFC Ottawa this Saturday, May 4 at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON. The card airs live on ESPN+/TSN.
