Welterweights
Jonathan Micallef (8-1) vs. Oban Elliott (12-3)Odds: Elliott (-120); Micallef (+100)
“The Welsh Gangster” Elliott is tasked with bouncing back from his first UFC loss against Melbourne native Micallef in a clash of twenty-something Dana White's Contender Series alums.
Elliott came up short against Seok Hyeon Ko in his last outing in June, snapping an eight-fight win streak in the process, but has been a pleasant surprise nonetheless in his UFC run so far. The 27-year-old is a solid boxer, capable of fighting out of either stance, with decent pop and a good workrate. Like his mentor, Jack Shore, Elliott is a good offensive wrestler who, at his best, times his entries intelligently and knows how to chain takedown techniques, securing through persistence and technique what he might not get on the first effort. The loss to Ko showed that Elliott can struggle when shown pressure on the feet, as he let the Korean control long stretches of the fight and his own offensive output suffered.
Micallef is only 15 months and a couple of fights younger than Elliott but comes across as much more of a raw product; by the time “The Captain” made his professional debut, Elliott was already a contender in Cage Warriors and about a year away from his shot on the Contender Series. He is a big welterweight with good reach who uses it well, throwing a long straight jab and an excellent variety of kicks to the legs, body and head. His heavy use of kicks, and his somewhat slow footwork, leave him open to takedowns, but that is partly by design—or a blessing in disguise, at least—as his most effective offensive skill may be his grappling. On the ground, Micallef is a smooth technician who is positionally aware and uses his long arms to threaten with chokes from a variety of positions.
This is a close fight on paper and the near pick ‘em odds reflect that. On the feet, this figures to be evenly matched, with Elliott perhaps enjoying a slight edge, especially if he’s learned some lessons from the Ko fight. However, where Elliot’s wrestling has been a strong change-up and safety valve for him in most of his UFC fights so far, it is an open question whether taking Micallef down will backfire on him. The pick here is for Elliott to prevail by decision in a fun welterweight scrap that features back-and-forth action in all phases and is likely to vie for “Fight of the Night” honors.
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