Eleventh-ranked flyweight contender Tim Elliott took on Contender Series alumnus Victor Altamirano at UFC Vegas 74.
Altamirano won both of his UFC fights since a loss in his debut, earning him this shot at the rankings. Meanwhile the former title challenger, Tim Elliott, is 3-1 in his last four since a rough three-fight losing streak in 2020.
Altamirano came out throwing wild kicks but Elliott countered by ducking in for a takedown. Victor was a caged tiger from his back though, throwing up hammerfists and bucking furiously. However, Elliott’s control was solid enough to hold down his opponent for a bit before giving up and letting Victor back to his feet. Elliott then shot another takedown immediately and avoided an armbar attempt from Altamirano in full guard. Altamirano’s wrist control and guard off his back kept Elliott from getting off too much offense, but he could also not escape from the top control of Tim. Elliott did get off some hammerfists, but largely he had his hands full controlling his foe, which he did successfully until the end of the round.
The middle stanza saw a similar start to the first round, with Altamirano coming out throwing wild strikes and Elliott shooting a takedown off of a caught kick. Tim almost ended up on bottom but scrambled and got on top as Altamirano somewhat accepted being on bottom, this time pushed up against the fence. Victor got back to his feet and landed a massive head kick that hurt Tim Elliott and dropped him to his back!
Altamirano got on top in full guard. Tim Elliott scrambled furiously and eventually got back to his feet where he was able to turn the tables and get a takedown to get on top himself, though he ate some damage on the way in. Elliott stayed on top till the buzzer sounded once again, but the second round was still probably one which he lost due to getting hurt and dropped.
The third round started more patiently but Elliott landed a big overhand in the first minute. After that minute was up he grabbed the leg of his foe when Altamirano kicked him and got on top in full guard. Short ground and pound did consistent but minor damage for Elliott as he pressed Victor up against the fence. Altamirano finally got to his feet with ninety seconds left and he was able to tag Elliott several times before getting taken down once again with a minute left when he threw an errant kick. The final seconds of the final round saw Tim Elliott open up more with ground strikes, getting some truly powerful ones off for the first time in the fight and likely sealing his victory.
When the scorecards were read out all three judges unsurprisingly gave the fight to Tim Elliott, two of them giving him all three rounds while the remaining judge gave him two of them. After going through a difficult personal situation with his estranged wife, it must have been a relief to get back in the octagon, perform well, and notch a victory. He even tied the legend Demetrious Johnson for most takedowns in UFC flyweight history with fifty-eight total in his UFC career.
Official Result: Tim Elliott def. Victor Altamirano by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
