CLEARVIEW SPORTS

By Ben Thomas

22-year-old Oban Elliott improved his professional record to 3-0 at Cage Warriors 108, where he finished James Lilley in round 1 via rear naked choke as his MMA career continues to blossom.

The Welshman has been involved in combat sports for almost 15 years. Elliott opened up about his decision to pursue MMA as a career. He said:

 “I picked MMA because I’ve done so many different sports growing up. MMA was the perfect route because I’ve done Judo, Taekwondo and boxing. So, when it comes to picking one, I couldn’t pick. So, with MMA you can do them all and that’s what made me go with it.” 

“I never imagined being a fighter and then not succeeding to the point where I need a job as well. I always in my head just thought I’m going to do this and make millions. You always have to have that confidence in your game. I was born with it”

When asked about his fighting idol, He said: “I wanted to be like Muhammad Ali. Obviously, he wasn’t an MMA fighter so Muhammad Ali, as a boxer, but obviously take that into MMA. I’ve always been inspired by Muhammad Ali”

“In terms of MMA fighters, Chael Sonnen, I loved him, and I still love him now. Anderson Silva and Jon Jones as well. There isn’t a single MMA fighter that I particularly looked up to because my mindset is, I can’t look up to the boys that are in my sport. I have to look up to the legends”

“I look at Conor McGregor now, I don’t see him as a superstar, I see him as a potential future opponent. I look at Khabib Nurmagomedov, I don’t see him as some big scary Russian, I just see him as another human being with two arms and two legs.”

“People like that in the modern era I struggled to look up to. I look up to the greats like Muhammad Ali”

As the UFC continues rolling out shows in Las Vegas during the Coronavirus, Cage Warriors have come to a standstill. For many fighters, it may be difficult to keep in shape with gyms being closed. However, for Elliott the basics are enough to keep him in shape and sharp:

“I recently bought like an industrial unit, I’ve put bags up and got running machines with a pull up bar and a couple of weights. So, I’m just training like a boxer or kickboxer for now. I’m just punching and kicking the bag”

“I mean I can still run and go on the bike and I’ve done it all my life, I’ve trained all my life, so like if I can’t train full time because obviously my gym is shut, so if I can’t do that, it’s not going to make a difference to me really” 

Cage Warriors 108 landed at the Viola arena in Cardiff. Headlined by fellow Welshman, Mason Jones, it was set to be an incredible night of fights. 

Elliott found himself placed in the co-main event of the evening after accepting a fight against James Lilley on just under a week’s notice. 

Despite coming into the contest on short notice, Elliott cruised to victory by submitting Lilley in the very first round via rear naked choke. The victory in the Welsh capital took Elliott to a professional record of 3-0.

“The last one just gone was definitely the biggest moment of my career so far. It was a co main event. It was a walk the walk, talk the talk sort of thing. I didn’t feel the pressure but there was a lot of pressure on me.”

“I took a fight on a week’s notice in the weight class above. I was meant to be fighting at lightweight, 70 kilos, and he dropped out, so I had to go in and fight a welterweight fight. I took all of that in my stride. So co main event, third fight in, in front of thousands of people”

“It wasn’t much of a thing when I won. It’s like I went in there and as soon as I had the choke on him, I didn’t feel like a rush of adrenaline, I knew that was going to happen.”

“I felt the same going into the cage as I did leaving the cage, because I just went in there and did the job like an assassin. It was just clean.”

“I’m just going in there and there’s guys in front of me and I know for a fact I’m going to clean them out” 

For a lot of fighters, the pressure of walking out and performing their craft in front of thousands of fans can have an effect on their performance. However, Elliott took it in his stride:

“When I walked out, I felt like Rocky Balboa, John Cena, I felt like Mohammed Ali, I felt like Triple H by making a big ring entrance just standing there looking like the don”

“I’ve always been mentally preparing for a big fight in an arena. So, I watched Rocky on the TV, he walks out through the crowd, big theme song you know, clapping all the fans hands and that’s what I always wanted to do.”

“I don’t feel any nerves, I don’t feel any anger, I don’t feel anything. I just switch off and I’m just in the zone. It’s just like I was honestly born to do it.”

“When I walk out it’s like I’m living in some film, it’s like I’m performing. It’s just natural, I just naturally take the moment with both hands”

When asked on a possible return date to the cage, Elliott said: “It’s whenever the gyms re open really. But obviously with Cage Warriors, Graham Boylan the president said that they’d only be putting cards or events on when the gyms are allowed to be open. So, it’s whatever that is really”

“If I could guess I’d probably imagine November or December time, I might go fight.”

The Welshman also identified two possible match ups for the big return. He said:

“I was booked up with Shaun Luther in March and you know, I’ll fight him. I don’t know if he’ll take the fight again to be honest.”

“If it was up to me, I’d fight the champion now. But Donovan Desmae maybe. But if it was up to me really, I’d be in the UFC right now. But I’ve got to Fight everyone on the European scene first.”

Welsh MMA has grown massively in the past five years with the likes of Brett Johns, Jack Marshman and Jack Shore making their way into the UFC. When talking about the future of Welsh MMA, He said: 

“I think we will be filling the Principality Stadium and I’ll be doing that. I said that since I can literally remember, I’ll be filling that ‘F’ing’ Principality stadium.”

Elliott continued on to talk about his own future goals:

“I haven’t got any other aspirations or goals or anything in this sport other than being an absolute global superstar. That’s all I want to be.”

“My goal is to become the best fighter in the world hands down, without a question and to be the biggest star in there. My ultimate goal is to be known as one of the best fighters to ever do it.”

 “I haven’t set up on this mission to achieve anything less. I haven’t come in just to have a couple of fights and go down the local pub when I’m 40 and say I’ve done a bit before.”

“My goal is to make millions of pounds, become the undisputed champion of the world and be one of the biggest stars to ever do it. I haven’t pursued this career for anything less.”