Paul Elliott Embraces The Underdog Role Against Unbeaten Shamil Erdogan
Nobody needs to tell Paul “King of the North” Elliott that the odds are stacked against him. He already knows, and it has not changed a thing.
The 34-year-old Englishman faces unbeaten Turkish powerhouse Shamil Erdogan in the heavyweight MMA main event of ONE Fight Night 48 on Prime Video on Friday, October 2. The card airs live in U.S. primetime from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium.
Erdogan’s perfect 13-0 record and his habit of ending fights almost as soon as they begin have made Elliott the man nobody is picking. He treats that as motivation rather than a warning, and he has no interest in pretending otherwise.
“Am I aware that I’m an underdog? Yes, I am. But it doesn’t bother me in the slightest. It doesn’t change my attitude to the fight. I go in there to give it everything I’ve got,” Elliott said.
“Every single fight I have is motivational because if you don’t put yourself in good condition, you’re going to get your a** kicked in there. That’s without any disrespect to my opponent. He’s very good.”
That attitude has carried him through tougher times. After a rocky start to his ONE tenure, Elliott roared back with consecutive knockouts of Ryugo Takeuchi and Regan Upshaw, the latter lasting a stunning six seconds.
Every one of his victories has ended inside the distance. On Friday, he chases a third straight win, and the biggest of his career, against a man no opponent has yet found a way past.
For all the respect he holds for Erdogan’s skill, Elliott keeps returning to one simple truth. The Turk, he insists, can be hurt like anyone else.
“He’s human. He bleeds. So, there’s definitely potential for me to beat him. Can I knock him out? If I land, I know I can knock him out. That’s definitely in my favor. I know I can knock him out,” Elliott said.
“Still, I think, it’s a tough one because he’s definitely the best I’ve fought. But I think it’s going to be a round one or two [knockout]. I’ll finish him.”
READ MORE: Six English Fighters Fly The Flag In Bangkok This Friday And Saturday
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