Las Vegas, NV – With only four UFC fights on his record flyweight Victor Altamirano has the right mindset in order to rise in the rankings and find his way to a title, but first he must get past Tim Elliot at UFC Vegas 74 on Saturday night.
“We’re ready to test ourselves with Tim Elliot. He’s a veteran, he’s a fighter, and he knows he’s coming to fight. We know we’re coming to fight. I’m really excited for this test in my career,” Altamirano told reporters on Wednesday.
Altamirano (12-2) is still pretty new in the UFC and he takes on Elliot (18-12-1) who is vastly more experienced than he is. The test will be tough, but no risk means no reward for the 32-year-old fighter.
“There’s no risk without reward. There’s no glory without a challenge and if that’s what we’re aiming for, if that’s what we want, then we have to be able to do things that are required to do so,” he said.
“Taking it to the rankings, going into the fight with higher-ranked opponents, that is what is required for us to grow. That is what is required for us to climb the ladder and achieve what is it that we want. We want glory, we want a legacy, we want the championship. If I say I want that I better show up with my words and my actions.”
Risk or not one thing is for sure. The awkward style that Elliot brings to a fight is something that is very tough to prepare for, but Altamirano had a different point of view on the matter.
“It’s all about rhythm. It’s really impossible to say you know I’m going to expect this technique, expect this sort of movement, it’s very difficult to be able to predict exactly how someone’s going to do,” he said.
“Most important part to understand a fight is to understand the rhythm. When are they going to do something? If you can anticipate when they your skills will take care of the rest and navigate you through the skills required to defend that specific technique. All you have to do is make sure that you’re in rhythm and you’re ready for the win.”
Big fights equal big rewards and for Altamirano the reward he wants is simple yet very difficult to attain.
“We’re going for number one. That is the ultimate goal. That is why we’re here. That is why we’re fighting that is why we took Tim Elliot on a semi-shot notice. That is why we took him two weeks after my (last fight),” Altamirano said.
“That’s why. Because we want to make sure we make it to the top.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Victor Altamirano above. He takes on Tim Elliot at UFC Vegas 74 on Saturday night.
