Exclusive | Matt Bonner & Oban Elliott predict their upcoming Cage Warriors 142 fight: ‘He’ll break at some point’
Matt Bonner is set to take on Oban Elliott at Cage Warriors 142.
Rising prospect Elliott will step inside the octagon in only his eighth bout against the seasoned veteran Bonner on Aug. 13 at Ebbw Vale Centre, Wales. Bonner is coming off two consecutive finishes in his previous outings and stays confident he’ll replicate the same result in his next clash to earn a title shot.
Elliot, on the other hand, has plans to “go through Matt Bonner” en route to achieving his ambitions in the sport.
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Matt Bonner predicts a second-round finish over Oban Elliott
After losing his belt to Djati Melan, former middleweight champion Bonner is all set to claw his way back into title contention, this time in a new division. He went on to defeat Hugo Pereira, and Joel Kouadja, both by a version of the rear-naked choke submission. A win over Elliott in his next outing could get him back on track for the promotional gold, and he’s confident he’ll come out on top.
In an exclusive interview with LowKick MMA’s Frank Bonada, Matt Bonner shared his prediction for the upcoming clash.
“It probably ends by TKO or a rear-naked choke. I do think he’ll break at some point in the fight. We’ve seen this from Oban before, with Figlak and Fleminas. If it doesn’t go his way, you kind of just see him melt in front of you. He has that kind of desperate first round, works a little bit too hard, shoots in, tries to pull you around, and then you push him back. Just actually (let him) know, ‘you’re not going to have this your way,’ and put the pressure back off him.”
“He’ll melt a little bit. Early second, I’m saying that’s when Fleminas beat him. I’m not going to go in and rush, look for a big finish, or anything like that. I’m going to take me time and when the opportunity comes to finish I’ll get that finish.”
Elliot gives his breakdown of the fight
Rising prospect Elliott has shown a lot of promise on his way up. He goes into the bout off a win over Herkus Lukosiunas in his last outing and will be looking to add more wins to his column after going 2-2 in his last four bouts. Elliot is not a fan of Bonner’s dismissal of him as an opponent and goes into the bout looking to prove that he can bang it out at the highest level inside the octagon.
In an exclusive interview with LowKick MMA’s Frank Bonada, Elliott shared his breakdown of the upcoming fight.
“I’m 24 years old. This is my eighth professional fight, and I’m fighting a former world champion. Name another 24-year-old with seven fights who’s doing that. You won’t get one. You won’t get a 24-year-old with the balls to take a fight like this. For me, it’s one step at a time, I’ve got my challenge, I’m not comparing myself or looking past him.”
“Of course, I’ve got my goals for the future but they go through Matt Bonner like a freak train, like a bullet. They go through him like a missile. So, that’s where I’m at with it.”
