LAS VEGAS – Tim Elliott had a humble response when asked about his goals moving forward.
Elliott (17-11-1 MMA, 6-9 UFC) scored a lopsided unanimous decision over Jordan Espinosa at UFC 259 in Las Vegas for his second straight win. But despite stringing back-to-back wins for the first time in more than four years, Elliott isn’t necessarily focused on capitalizing on his momentum.
Having almost reached the pinnacle of the sport by winning Season 24 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Elliott fell short in his title pursuit against the consensus greatest flyweight of all time, Demetrious Johnson, and things turned south from there.
He lost four of his next six, but Elliott is no stranger to bouncing back from adversity. Few get a second shot at the UFC and Elliott is on his first winning streak since rejoining the roster in 2016.
“I feel like I didn’t get the performance that I wanted, personally,” Elliott told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at the post-fight news conference. “Personally, I wanted something more – and any of these guys. I don’t want to call anybody out.
“There was a time where I felt like I was at the top of this division after ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ and after fighting Demetrious Johnson, but I had three losses in a row after that. I’m at the bottom of the heap here. Guys on my season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ – (like) Kai Kara-France – those guys are killing it right now. I’m just lucky to be here and get the fights that I’m getting. So whoever, whenever. Next week, the week after – the UFC knows they can call me. I’m ready.”
Currently ranked No. 12 in the UFC’s flyweight rankings, Elliott is just looking to take things fight by fight and isn’t concerned about chasing the champion.
“I used to be the guy: ‘I want to get this, I want to get that,’” Elliott said. “I used to be a reacher and so end-goal orientated. Right now, I’m just enjoying the ride. I’m trying to enjoy the process. This is the fun part, taking the ride as it comes, and I’m not worried about getting the belt or being the champion.”
