Wales’ own Oban Elliott secured a dominant victory over Preston Parsons at UFC 304, successfully flying the flag for Wales on the biggest stage in MMA
Oban Elliott With Dominate Performance at UFC 304
Manchester was the home for UFC 304, with the Co-op Live arena opening its doors to thousands of fans ahead of the PPV. The card was stacked with British stars such as Leon Edwards, Tom Aspinall, Paddy Pimblett, Nathaniel Wood, Molly McCann, and many more. Much controversy surrounded the event due to its late start time, as the British fighters were set to face a disadvantage on their home turf. Oban Elliott entered at around 12:30am flying the Welsh flag, looking to put on an impressive performance.
What Went Down
Round one begins with some range finding strikes from both fighters. Parsons then attempted a takedown which took the fight to the cage wall. Parsons looked strong in the cage wrestling exchanges early on, but Elliott remained calm and reversed this to then separate and bring the fight back to the feet. Elliott was having success in the striking exchanges, which triggered another takedown attempt from Parsons. Once again, this brought the fight to the cage wall. Parsons let off well timed elbows upon separation of the clinch.
Round two begins with more takedown attempts from Parsons. Elliott perfectly defends, showing masterful timing on the sprawls, and high IQ while reversing takedown attempts off the cage wall. Elliott’s confidence grew as the round went on, finding his range and landing clean shots. Parsons answered back with some sharp striking of his own. Parsons focused heavily on low kicks in round two, landing some chopping blows. Elliott switched stances to protect his lead leg, while letting off solid boxing combinations.
Round three saw more success for Elliott. More takedown attempts came from Parsons, but with little success. Elliot was seen to be pointing and smiling at Parsons while walking him down with strikes. Elliot’s patience, IQ, and maturity in this fight was highly impressive as Parsons provides a tough test for any fighter. Towards to end of the round, Parsons secured a takedown. Elliot uses this as an opportunity to try and submit Parsons, sinking in an armbar from bottom position. Parsons defends this well and escapes. Elliot gets back to his feet and a few more strikes landed from both fighters to see out the round.
What’s Next For Oban Elliott?
Oban’s impressive performance earned him his second win in the UFC. Fans will be eager to find out when the Welshman will step back in the cage. Elliott expressed his desire to stay active, and continue to prove himself in the division. Given this, a winter outing could be possible. If Elliott continues on this trajectory, a few more fights with a few more wins could see him fighting for that top 15 ranked spot. An exciting time for the Welsh prospect, and even more exciting for the fans and supporters at home.
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Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
