UFC flyweight Tim Elliott isn’t the biggest fan of Henry Cejudo, but he gives credit where credit is due.

The two fighters engaged in a war of words on Season 24 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” when Elliott was a competitor and Cejudo was a coach. In interviews since then, both flyweights have angled for a potential matchup down the road.

Despite his opposition to Cejudo, Elliott can’t deny the champion is doing an excellent job at promoting the UFC’s 125-pound division. In Elliott’s opinion, Cejudo’s “King of Cringe” ploy is elevating the flyweight division to new interest levels.

“I think it’s kind of silly, but I’m glad that he’s doing it,” Elliott told MMA Junkie. “I’d prefer that he does do it. This is the entertainment game – it’s not just about fighting. It doesn’t matter if people love you or hate you, the tickets sell the same. The ‘cringe’ thing and people hitting him, he could either try to be something that’s not or he could take this (expletive) and run with it.

“I think he’s doing a good job of going ahead and biting the bullet. Being the cringy guy. It’s going to make him money and it’s going to make all of us more money. He’s bringing interest to the little guys right now. As silly as it is, I love it. I think it’s probably good for the sport.”

At UFC on ESPN+ 19, Elliott (15-8-1 MMA, 4-6 UFC) squares off with Deiveson Figueiredo (16-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC). The event takes place Saturday at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. The card streams on ESPN+.

With a win over Figueiredo, Elliott think he’ll be one or two victories away from finally squaring off with the Olympic gold medalist and UFC double champion.

“I don’t see why not – we already have history together,” Elliott said.
We’ve already had words back and forth. I’m definitely going to (expletive) talk him, whether he stays at 135 or moves back down.

“… He’s bringing some interest to the division. Whether you love him or hate him, people want to watch him. Same with me. I feel like I have a little bit to prove because I’ve been out for so long. Two or three more fights, there’s no reason why that can’t be a possibility.”

In the meantime, Elliott faces a tough task in the form of a Brazilian finisher. The contest will be Elliott’s first since December of 2017, having needed time to recover from a knee injury. Confident in his abilities, Elliott believes his speed and footwork will prove to be the difference when the two step into the cage in Florida.

“He has a lot of power, but he’s slow for the division,” Elliott said. “He looks good if you stand right in front of him and I’m definitely not going to do that. He’s going to have to fight my fight.

“I’ve already paid my dues in this game and in the UFC, so he’s going to have to come fight my fight. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Stylistically and physically, I feel like everything is playing out as it should.

“I’m going grind him out early. I feel like I’m going to pressure him the first two rounds pretty hard and make him quit.”