Oban Elliot has never stopped working to achieve his dream of fighting in the UFC.
Elliot comes from a working class background and has gone from extreme hardship as a child to working long, tough hours in the last few years to reach Dana White‘s promotion.
Now, the 26-year-old from Merthyr Tydfil in Wales aims to extend his undefeated UFC record in New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden this Saturday.
“[Everyone] has dreams as a little kid. I wanted to be Spiderman!,” Elliot told talkSPORT.com exclusively, as he oozed with gratitude when discussing his upcoming bout.
“A lot of them are quite unrealistic and out there, but fighting in MSG was one of them and I made it come true — I’m going to make it come true.
“I’m very excited about it all it’s just an absolute blessing that I get to do this sport, because I’d be doing this for nothing.
“I’d be doing this in leisure centres for nothing, for fun, but It’s my living, so I’m very grateful.”
Two years ago, Elliot was working his normal weekend job in Nando’s flipping chicken as he watched UFC Fight Night 208, which took place in The O2 Arena, London, in July 2022.
Tom Aspinall tore his MCL just 15 seconds into his main event bout against Curtis Blaydes on that night in London, while Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann both picked up victories.
Aspinall is the official backup fighter for Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic, which headlines UFC 309 this weekend in the same card that Elliot will feature on too.
Elliot credits his father Paul, who he lost to suicide when he was just seven years old, for falling in love with MMA.
‘The Welsh Gangster’ dedicated his whole life towards his dream of making it to the UFC, which included balancing training with day-to-day full-time jobs.
“Two years ago I was in Nando’s flipping chicken,” Elliot said on The Ariel Helwani show.
“…I was banking on being in the UFC a little earlier, but then I got the call up and now I’m just doing my thing.
“Funny enough I watched Ian Garry make his debut in MSG and I was closing. I was scraping all the s*** off and I thought: ‘He’s done so well to get there, but how is he there and how am I here?’
“At the time, it will crush you for half a second and then you man up and go for a run you know what I mean and you make it.”
Elliot, who trains at Shore Mixed Martial Arts in Albertillery alongside fellow UFC fighter Jack Shore, made his UFC debut in February on the same card Alexander Volkanovski dropped his featherweight title to Ilia Topuria.
The welterweight prospect beat Val Woodburn via unanimous-decision, before winning by the same method against Preston Parsons five months later at UFC 304 in Manchester.
The former Cage Warriors contender earnt his place in the UFC after overcoming Kaik Brito on Dana White’s Contender Series in August 2023.
UFC legend Chael Sonnen made a video about Elliot last week, saying he doesn’t know how the 26-year-old has got to become so tough, while admiring his career so far and unique ‘level of DNA’ he’s inherited since birth.
“It blew me away watching that.” Elliot added in his conversation with talkSPORT.com.
“I’ve met him once, we’ve kept in touch. I was a 14-year-old kid watching him on the runup to the Anderson Silva rematch and I was just nagging him saying how much of a fan I am and that, and saying how one day I’m gonna be in the UFC, I’ll be there coming behind you.
“He said good man chase your dreams pal, I got the screenshot, never forgot it.
“It’s such an honour for anyone to speak about you in such a lovely way like that, he didn’t even mention my fight skills.
“He just spoke about me as a human being and imagine your idol you’ve grown up watching is then talking about you like that. It’s so surreal.”
Elliot takes on 31-year-old American Bassil Hafez in the octagon this Saturday at UFC 309.
The main card a UFC 309 kicks off at 3 am GMT for UK fans on Sunday, November 17.
Elliot is the second fight on the early prelims, which is set to begin at 11 pm GMT on UFC Fight Pass.
