“New Gimmick, New Attitude” – Oban Elliott Embracing ‘Heel Turn’ Ahead of UFC 325

One day you’re the cock of the walk; the next a feather duster. Life in combat sports is rarely as kind as it is cruel and unforgiving. In the last 12 months, Welsh welterweight Oban Elliott has been reminded of that very fact.

After sailing into the UFC on a six-fight win streak that included capturing a contract with the promotion on Dana White’s Contender Series, Elliott’s momentum saw him capture lightning in a bottle with three straight wins.“The Gangster” soared to great heights.

He recited Ric Flair promos in California and held Hulk Hogan poses in New York. But his momentum came crashing down in last June Baku, Azerbaijan in underwhelming fashion – the same night Jon Jones’ retirement was announced.

For Elliott, fighting is as much about the spectacle as it is about the thing itself. The pageantry of it all allows him to soak up the atmosphere and revel in the moment which in turns assists him in competing at his very best. It locks him in. But the defeat to UFC newcomer Seok Hyeon Ko wasn’t just the result of a bad performance.

In the Welshman’s mind, it was the result of everything going against him after having his initial bout three weeks earlier versus Ramiz Brahimaj in Las Vegas scrapped. A series of unfortunate events began to play out, capping off in his first promotional loss. “I thought to myself when I flew out to Australia last time, I was due a bit of bad luck. I didn’t just fall ill. Because I am pissed off. I am fucked off. I am frustrated. I’m coming off a loss that never in a million years should’ve happened. But it happened,” Elliott reflected.

“Entering Azerbaijan, I didn’t even get my entrance. I got rushed to the ring with no walkout, and that messed with my mojo. That walkout is all part of the build-up. It prepares my soul to fight. They ran me through the crowd and put me in the cage. I felt fucked and everything was off.

“The first round whizzed by and I didn’t feel like I woke up until the second round. Then the third arrived and I had to go for broke. I should’ve never lost that fight.”

Despite the defeat, this isn’t the first time Elliott has overcome great adversity. Much earlier in his professional career when he was merely a prospect in Cage Warriors, the flames of the Shore MMA product’s dreams looked to be dowsed when he was diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia, prompting time away and an eventual transition from lightweight to welterweight.

As aforementioned, his last venture to Australia in September 2025 saw him forced out of the bout with a case of pneumonia that worsened after travelling to The Land Down Under already unwell but ready to go.

To go even further back in his life, he lost his father in 2005. So you needn’t wonder why he adopts the statement spoken by legendary wrestling star Scott Hall that “Bad times don’t last, but bad guys do.” It’s been 14 months since Elliott last had his hand raised in the Octagon.

Along the way, he’s witnessed one-time fickle fans become mainstay detractors. This weekend at UFC 325 in his return to Australia, he looks to get back on the right path with what he says is a completely new version of ‘The Welsh Gangster’ that embraces his Bad Guy spirit.“This arc is all about revenge,” Elliott cemented. “It’s like a heel turn now. I’ve seen everyone turn their backs on me.

Like when you see the good guy come back in wrestling, he doesn’t forget. He remembers. I haven’t forgotten those who turned on me. They cheered when I lit up Madison Square Garden, but dropped me on a moment’s notice. “It’s a new gimmick. A new ring attire. A new attitude. As much as that’s a work, for me it’s a real thing because I am pissed off. I have seen the public shitting on me and it’s fuel for me. “I get to come back now and tear it up.”