March’s UFC 272 is the landing spot for an interesting flyweight match-up.
Joining the third Ultimate Fighting Championship numbered event of the year is former title challenger Tim Elliott, taking on rising prospect Tagir Ulanbekov. Iridium Sports Agency, who represent Elliott, announced the news.
Elliott (17-12-1), on his second stint with the UFC, saw a two-fight win streak snapped when he lost a unanimous decision to Matheus Nicolau in October. Prior to the loss, the Glory MMA and Fitness fighter had picked up decision wins over Jordan Espinosa and Ryan Benoit.
Having fought a who’s who in the flyweight division, it will be almost a decade since Elliott first stepped into the octagon when he faces Ulanbekov in March. Now 35, Elliott made his promotional debut in 2012, falling short to flyweight standout John Dodson at the time. After going 2-4 in his first run with the promotion, Elliott was shown the door, and headed back to the regional scene — then earned himself a spot on The Ultimate Fighter 24, winning the show and a shot at then-champ Demetrious Johnson in the process.
Ulanbekov (13-1) didn’t even turn pro until a year after Elliott first set foot in the octagon. His lone loss came in 2018 against Zhalgas Zhumagulov under the Fight Nights Global banner; Zhumagulov has since joined the UFC as well. Thus far, Ulanbekov has won both his fights with the UFC, claiming wins over Bruno Silva and Allan Nascimento.
UFC 272 is expected to take place on March 5, 2022 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. No main event has been announced for the show. The following bouts have been reported for the card to date:
Bryce Mitchell vs. Edson Barboza
Jessica Eye vs. Manon Fiorot
Maryna Moroz vs. Mariya Agapova
Dustin Jacoby vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
Tim Elliott vs. Tagir Ulanbekov
