With Tim Elliott on TUF, Titan FC books interim flyweight title fight
Tim Elliott, Titan FC's flyweight champion, is in Las Vegas right now filming The Ultimate Fighter 24. He has a potential matchup with UFC flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson in his sights.
So, with Elliott out and no timeframe for his return, Titan needed to do something about its flyweight belt situation. Jose Torres and Abdiel Velazquez will meet for the interim 125-pound title in the co-main event of Titan 40 on Aug. 5 in Coral Gables, Fla., promotion officials told MMA Fighting on Thursday.
"We are excited for the opportunity our current flyweight champion, Tim Elliott, has by representing Titan FC in the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter: TUF 24 Champions," COO Lex McMahon said in a release. "We are certain he will represent both himself and Titan in an amazing manner. However, the reality is that Tim will not be able to defend his belt for the foreseeable future so we have decided to make the bout between Jose "Shorty" Torres and Abdiel "The Nightmare" Velazquez for the interim flyweight title - both fighters have bright futures ahead of them and one will become a world champion on Aug. 5."
Torres (2-0) has won his first two fights since turning pro after a decorated, extensive amateur career that included IMMAF world championships. The 23-year-old Illinois native is coming off a unanimous decision win over Reynaldo Duarte in April.
Velazquez (7-2) has won two in a row and most recently defeated veteran Alexis Vila by majority decision last month. The Florida native is also 23 years old. Velazquez owns a first-round knockout of Jaime Alvarez, the Absolute Fighting Championship flyweight champion who will also be on TUF 24 with Elliott.
Titan FC 40 is headlined by a lightweight title fight between champion Gesias Cavalcante and challenger Freddy Assuncao. The event will take place at the Bank United Center and air live on UFC Fight Pass.