Tristan Connelly was pumped when he got the contract to fight Darren Elkins at UFC Vegas 53.
Connelly says he was offered to fight Elkins last year but ‘The Damage’ wasn’t ready so the Canadian fought Pat Sabatini at UFC 261 and lost by decision. After the fight, Connelly suffered an injury that kept him out for a year but he will now return against Elkins which he is pleased about.
“So excited and I actually thought last year I was going to be fighting him when I fought Pat,” Connelly said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “For a couple of weeks, they were saying it was going to be Darren Elkins but then they gave me Pat and it was a super big letdown to not fight him. But, after they said his name again, I was like of course, 100 percent. There are so many reasons why it is an awesome fight. I’m a huge Darren Elkins fan and he’s an inspirational fighter… I’ve grown up watching him and stylistically, we are both cardio machines and I think I’m a little sharper and a little less miles on me. I fight a lot like he does, so it will be a fun fight either way so I can’t wait to get in there.”
Now that Tristan Connelly is fully healthy and has spent time training for Darren Elkins, he believes it will be a very fun fight for the fans. He knows they are evenly matched but he thinks he has a key way to winning this fight and that is pushing Elkins up against the fence and landing strikes there.
Although Connelly says he has all the tools to win the fight, he knows he can’t force a finish. He’s well aware that Elkins can take a ton of damage and then rally to get the win when his opponents are tired, so Connelly believes he has to fight a smart fight.
“I think it’s going to be an even match energy-wise, I know I’m not going to go for the kill on any submission or if he’s hurt because how many times have we seen that failed people? He will take a lot but keep doing enough and then pour it on you when you get tired,” Connelly said. “You have to be patient with him, I think his wrestling in space is going to be better than mine, but on the cage, I think mine is better. I’m sneaky on the wall, then grappling on the ground I think we will be pretty even. It’s going to matter who ends up on top as it will be really hard for who is on the bottom to get up.”
Ultimately, Tristan Connelly believes he will get his hand raised by decision and pick up one of the biggest wins of his career.
“I think my highest chances of winning is by decision. It sounds boring but I want to put that in my head. If the finish comes it comes,” Connelly concluded. “I think I will beat him on the feet and we will end up on the fence and I will take him down and control him and he will scramble and I will hit him as he gets up, we will back up and we’ll do that all over again.”
Do you think Tristan Connelly will beat Darren Elkins?