Tim Elliott wants to prove age is but a number, and Victor Altamirano wants to end the run of the flyweight division’s most-tenured competitor in a featured undercard bout on tonight’s UFC Fight Night from The Apex in Las Vegas.
Elliott hopes to generate momentum in his tenth year with the UFC by turning away another young buck. Altamirano may be short on prep time, but is no less prepared for the biggest fight of his MMA career.
UFC odds have Elliott as a -180 favorite. Altamirano is a +155 underdog.
Here are our picks and predictions for Elliott vs. Altamirano at UFC Fight Night.
Tim Elliott vs Victor Altamirano fight odds
Tim Elliott vs Victor Altamirano method of victory odds
| Method of Victory | Tim Elliott | Victor Altamirano |
|---|---|---|
| To win by KO/TKO | +1,200 | +900 |
| To win by Points | +100 | +300 |
| To win by Submission | +500 | +750 |
| Draw | +5,000 | +5,000 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook on June 1, 2023.
Tim Elliott vs Victor Altamirano picks
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Tim Elliott vs Victor Altamirano betting preview
Tim Elliott is at the age where the lights may go out, and he’ll never know it. The 36-year-old flyweight is as tough as it gets, and while he’s gone 5-5 in his last 10 fights, those losses have come against the likes of Demetrius Johnson, Deivison Figuereido, and Brandon Royval. He’s mostly beaten everyone else outside of the true elite.
There isn’t much Elliott hasn’t seen in his long career. The resilient veteran remains a durable fighter with decent striking and grappling offense. Elliott has a good chin with only one stoppage loss in his career, an NCAA wrestling background, and excellent conditioning. It really does take a fighter with something special to beat him, even at this advanced age.
Victor Altamirano s a volume striker who hasn’t come anywhere near this level of competition during his time with the UFC. Elliott will look to crowd Altamirano against the cage to stunt his activity and test his takedown defense against his formidable wrestling skills.
Altamirano steps in with 30 days to prepare for a significant jump in class. “El Magnifico” got a roster spot after beating Carlos Candalerio in August 2021, and has posted a 2-1 record since then. Those wins weren’t anything to write home about, as both fighters have failed to post a win since joining the UFC.
Looking at the totality of his career, Altamirano works behind a lot of activity, which he used during his LFA run to close the distance and go for submissions. Since joining the UFC, he’s landed 6.15 significant strikes per minute at 58% accuracy, though he isn’t out-landing his opponents as much as he should be at this level of opposition.
Perhaps the skill gap has increased that much more since entering the UFC, but he cannot rely on striking to beat Elliott. The veteran has five submission losses, and Altamirano has displayed good takedown defense and submission work in the past. That being said, Altamirano is getting taken down twice a night on average, and he’ll need to shut that down and keep Elliott upright and constantly going backward.
Tim Elliott vs Victor Altamirano tale of the tape
| Tim Elliott | Victor Altamirano | |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | Age | 32 |
| 5-foot-7 | Height | 5-foot-8 |
| 125 lbs | Weight | 124.5 lbs |
| 66 inches | Reach | 70.5 inches |
| 18-12 (3 KO) | Record | 12-2 (2 KO) |
Tim Elliott vs Victor Altamirano UFC prediction and best bet
Fight prediction: Elliott moneyline
Elliott is on a roll, winning three of his last four and looking pretty solid in each of those wins. He’s as tough of a journeyman as there is in the UFC, and Altamirano may not be suited to this level of competition just yet.
Time may not be on Elliott’s side, so we’re cautiously picking him to turn away Altamirano. The call is for Elliott to win.
Prediction: Elliott moneyline (-180 at DraftKings)
Fight best bet: Over 2.5 Rounds
Neither fighter is known for their stopping power, and we don’t feel Altamirano is that raw to where Elliott will score only his third stoppage in seven years. When we consider the intangibles with Elliott, such as his age and agility, Altamirano isn’t exactly without a path to victory.
It should be a close fight, so our best bet is the fight going over 2.5 Rounds.
Pick: Over 2.5 Rounds (-265 at DraftKings)
