Tim Elliott may have picked up the biggest win of his career at 38 years of age.
In the UFC 319 main card opener, Elliott (21-13-1 MMA, 10-11 UFC) pulled off the upset when he finished former RIZIN champion Kai Asakura (21-6 MMA, 13-3 UFC) with a guillotine choke at the 4:39 mark of Round 2 at United Center in Chicago.
Elliott snatched hold of Asakura’s neck in a scramble and ended up on top of the Japanese flyweight. He appeared to have a good torque with one hand, but conjured a tap when he locked in a second hand.
With the victory, Elliott has won back-to-back fights and moves to 4-1 in his most recent five bouts. Other wins in the stretch include Tagir Ulanbekov, Victor Altamirano and Su Mudaerji.
Askaura, 31, is Japanese MMA royalty. He was one of the faces of RIZIN prior to his UFC signing in 2024. He debuted in an unsuccessful title bid vs. Alexandre Pantoja in December. He was submitted in Round 2 in that fight as well.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 319 results include:
- Tim Elliott def. Kai Asakura via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 4:39
- Baisangur Susurkaev def. Tom Nolan via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 2:01
- Michal Oleksiejczuk def. Gerald Meerschaert via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:03
- Loopy Godinez def. Jessica Andrade via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Alexander Hernandez def. Chase Hooper via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:58
- Drakkar Klose def. Edson Barboza via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Karine Silva def. Dione Barbosa via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Joseph Morales def. Alibi Idiris via submission (triangle choke) – Round 2, 3:04
