Edgar Chairez is fully locked in for this year's Noche UFC. He's a significant favorite entering the event, but he's being careful not to get overconfident.
Chairez, a rising contender in the UFC's flyweight division, takes on veteran Tim Elliott at the top of the preliminary card of UFC Fight Night 288 (Paramount+), which goes down Saturday at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Ariz. Chairez (14-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is on a three-fight winning streak, with two of those victories ending by first-round submission and earning Performance of the Night bonuses. On the other hand, Elliott (21-14-1 MMA, 10-12 UFC), 39, is coming off a decision loss to Steve Erceg. The momentum couldn't be any more different between the two.
Yet, despite what each fighter
shows on paper, Chairez sees a very dangerous foe in front of him, and he's in no way thinking Saturday will be a walk in the park.
"He's a good name, but he's not a (Lone'er) Kavanagh, (Brandon) Royval, (Manel) Kape," Chairez told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. "Tim Elliott has been able to maintain in the UFC; he's a veteran, and he's always there. I've gotten a lot of comments asking why I took the fight and all that and saying that this is an easy fight. This is not an easy fight. It's actually a very tough fight, and might be the most difficult fight I've ever had. I've treated this seriously. I'm trusting the process, and whatever life has for me, that's what will happen. But no, it's not an easy fight at all.
"It would actually be better to fight Royval, who's almost just as hard a fight, than Tim Elliott. The problem is that Royval is up there, ranked No. 1 or 2. But yeah, it's a very hard fight and doesn't carry the same prestige as others. He's a veteran. Yes, he might be in his 40's, but he's tricky. Anything can happen. This is a fight, but I'm always thinking about the victory."
Chairez's is high on Elliott, calling him one of the toughest, or maybe the toughest, matchups he's been given in the promotion. Keep in mind the Mexican fighter has fought Joshua Van, who's now champion, and Tatsuro Taira, who recently fought for the belt. Those are his only two defeats in the promotion.
Elliott has fought 22 times in the UFC over the span of 14 years. Elliott has been fighting the world's best for over a decade, and although he's had his ups and downs, he's never been knocked out – something Chairez hopes to change.
"I don't think anyone can withstand my power," Elliott said. "I've been working my boxing for several years, and to be honest, I haven't seen anyone who hits like I do. I have a hard punch. That's my best weapon. That's why all of my opponents look to take me down. I've also been working a lot on my jiu-jitsu and grappling defense. It's tough to take me down, and it's tough to submit me if you take me down. Not even Taira could sub me, and he's one of the best grapplers in the UFC. I feel good everywhere."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Edgar Chairez not taking Tim Elliott lightly despite age: 'Not an easy fight at all'
