After giving years of blood, sweat, and tears inside the UFC Octagon, there comes a time when an athlete’s journey either ends or pauses. And one UFC veteran believes that moment has already arrived as he now plots his next move.  

Tim Elliott recently went mano a mano against former flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg at UFC Perth. On the surface, this fight might look like any other UFC clash. But in reality, it was the Kansas native’s last fight under his current UFC contract.

The 39-year-old veteran hopes that Dana White and Co. sign him back to the promotion. Still, Elliott understands that he’s coming off a loss, and the company might just cut him. In that case, he’s planning to make a shift to BKFC or Japan, possibly Rizin.

“Tim Elliott Says His UFC Contract Expired After #UFCPerth And Hopes To Resign With The UFC, But If He Does Not Resign He’s Open To Fighting In Japan Or BKFC 👀,” social media content creator Kevin posted on X.  

To be fair, Tim Elliott would find his place in any promotion based on his exciting fighting style and UFC record.

He has competed in 22 fights in total under Dana White’s leadership, amassing a 10–12 record. Also, he’s one of the more recognizable names among hardcore audiences.

Elliott recently hit a new peak by scoring an upset victory against former title challenger Kai Asakura at UFC 319.

Even though his last fight was a loss, he put on a decent performance against a really young and dangerous Aussie. Because of that, promotions like BKFC, which recently brought Darren Till under their wing, would be very tempted to sign him to their roster.

But if he wants to fight under MMA rules in Japan, Elliott could definitely join Rizin, which recently signed ex-UFC and Bellator fighter Patchy Mix. That said, the most likely scenario is that the UFC might retain him, and history supports that.

In 2020, Tim Elliott surprised everyone by signing a lucrative four-fight deal with the UFC while on a three-fight losing streak. Later, the promotion extended his deal in 2023, which was hopefully even more financially credible for the Kansas City native.

Keeping that in mind, the 39-year-old veteran asked for a new contract after beating Asakura at UFC 319 in a huge upset. So, the chances are that Elliott could make it back with the UFC.

Now, as the UFC veteran’s fate in Dana White’s promotion hangs in the balance, another star fighter made a drastic move with the promotion. 

Former UFC champ signs with the UFC 

When it comes to UFC critics, Aljamain Sterling often finds his name at the forefront.

The former bantamweight champ found himself visibly livid when Dana White struck a $15M deal with Conor Benn, as he went off on fighter pay and matchmaking. So, it seemed ‘Funkmaster’s days with the UFC were minimal, especially with him competing in freestyle wrestling. But recently, that changed.

Following his standout victory over Youssef Zalal at UFC Vegas 116, the former 135 lbs kingpin revealed that he received a call from UFC CBO Hunter Campbell, who offered him a new deal with the promotion. Now, Aljamain Sterling hopes to retire with the company.

“I got a new deal with the company so I’m super happy about that,” Sterling exclaimed, revealing that it wasn’t until Hunter Campbell called him that he realized his most recent fight was the last on his current contract.

“It was odd because I thought I had two fights, and when he called me, that was the odd part because I was like, ‘Why is Hunter calling me? Did I do something wrong? Did I say something that is going to come back to bite me in the a– right now?’

“We talked, and we had a good conversation, and the main thing to take away from it was whether I want to be here or not. I told him like, ‘Yeah dude,’ I don’t know how it might come off and be perceived, but he kind of felt like maybe I didn’t. But I said no, this is—I would hope to retire with the company.”

With so many options now available, fighters can definitely pick and choose between promotions. Yet, the UFC holds the edge because of its prestige and its status as a career-defining platform.