Heading into 2025, Oban Elliott was riding high, having rounded out his unbeaten rookie year on the biggest stage in the sport by registering a third-round knockout win over Bassil Hafez at Madison Square Garden.
The victory netted him a $50,000 bonus and cemented his position on countless “Fighters to Watch” lists as the new UFC calendar year go under way.
One year later, the 28-year-old from Wales is seeking to put the most frustrating year of his professional career behind him and entering 2026 with a colossal chip on his shoulder.
“Obviously I had that big win in New York, and I was so keen to build on it,” Elliott began with a smile when we spoke a couple days ahead of Christmas, recapping his “Year from Hell” and looking forward to his UFC 325 showdown with Jonathan Micallef at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on January 31.