Chicago — Flyweight, TUF champ, and former UFC title challenger Tim Elliott knows there’s a reason he’s on the UFC 319 main card, and that’s opponent Kai Asakura.
“I’m super happy about the match-up. I was in the UFC before USADA, and I’m in the UFC after USADA. So I’ve fought on the big stages, on small stages, but honestly, fighting Kai is getting me a chance to be on the Pay-Per-View portion [of UFC 319],” Elliott (20-13-1) admitted during this week’s UFC 319 media day. “I’m only fighting on the Pay-Per-View part because I’m fighting Kai. So I owe him a little bit for that. I’m excited to be here, and I love that, but I’ve been around for a long time and rarely get to fight on a Pay-Per-View card. That’s all his doing.”
Asakura is a former title challenger himself, getting an immediate title shot against Alexandre Pantoja upon arriving in the UFC from RIZIN late last year. The fight did not go the Japanese star’s way, something he in part blamed on being unfamiliar with fighting in a cage (most RIZIN fights are held in a ring).
“I would imagine it’s very different. I feel like I would be the same way if I was fighting in a ring,” agreed Elliott, at least initially. “I expect him to be the best version of himself that there is.”
That said, Elliott didn’t put too much emphasis on the cage versus ring comparison. “It’s totally different I suppose. I’ve never been in a ring before, but it’s going to take more than one [fight to get accustomed]. But he’s a fighter, at the end of the day he’s really good at it. Where we’re fighting and how we’re fighting is not going to make too much of a difference. It’s not going to win or lose either one of us the fight. He got guillotined I think, so I don’t know how the cage has anything to do with that.”
Going up against a popular star from another country has given Tim Elliott a crash course on Japanese culture and fans it seems. Japan is known for civility and politeness, and unlike past opponents, the fans in Elliott’s inbox this time around aren’t there to talk trash or hurl insults.
“It kind of gives me a new excitement in fighting to see fans that are just fans of fighting. They don’t really care about anything else, just that you fight and that you want to fight and that you can put on a good fight.” So many people nitpick about everything, added Elliott, from hair style to fighting style, “but I’ve got none of that dealing with the Japanese fans. Not only that, it’s really made me want to go visit the country and see it first hand.”
Which might actually lead to a sumo match with Kai Asakura in Japan sometime after the fight, with Elliott having beach wrestling experience. “It’s cool to see fight fans that are fans of fighting, and that’s it. Nothing else really matters. Because that’s what we’re doing here. That’s how it is really.”
Watch the full UFC 319 media day appearance by flyweight Tim Elliott above. The card takes place this Saturday, August 16, 2025 at the United Center in Chicago, IL.
