UFC welterweight Oban Elliott shared his reaction to a brutal knockout loss against promotional newcomer Michael Oliveira at UFC Belgrade.
Elliott entered the bout on a two-fight losing skid, and it’s now three straight defeats after Oliveira busted him up and finished him with heavy strikes in the first round of their UFC Belgrade fight.
Oban Elliott Reacts to Loss
Taking to his social media following his devastating knockout loss to Oliveira, Elliott shared the following comments.
“Thank you for all the love and support. This is the game of pain. Sometimes you cheer, sometimes you reflect. You win every time,” Elliott wrote on his Instagram stories.
HeavyOban Elliott Instagram Stories
It’s an extremely classy response by Elliott, who is clearly upset by the defeat, but also not letting it completely devastate him, as he has vowed to learn from it and come back stronger.
What’s Next for Oban Elliott?
Following the loss to Oliveira, Elliott is now 3-3 overall in the UFC.
The 29-year-old Wales native was originally signed to the UFC in 2023 after picking up an upset win over Kaik Brito on Dana White’s Contender Series. He then made his UFC debut in 2024 and defeated Val Woodburn by unanimous decision. He followed that up with another unanimous decision win over Preston Parsons.
At UFC 309 in November 2024, Elliott picked up the biggest win of his UFC career to date when he brutally knocked out Bassil Hafez in the third round of their fight, one that saw him win a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
However, since that win over Hafez, Elliott has not gotten his hand raised, as he has lost three straight fights, including a decision loss to Seokhyeon Ko, a submission defeat to Jonathan Micallef, and now a knockout loss to Oliveira.
With three straight losses, including two straight stoppage defeats, it wouldn’t be shocking at all if the UFC decided to part ways with Elliott. But he is a fan favorite, so it feels like he will get one more chance to right the ship, potentially on a European UFC Fight Night card sometime in early 2027.
Oban Elliott Shares Reaction to Brutal KO Loss at UFC Belgrade