Paul Elliott says landing a shot at a ONE Championship world title would be "life-changing" if he can get past Shamil Erdogan in his upcoming heavyweight bout, though he has been careful not to guarantee another record-breaking finish.
The fighter from Middlesbrough will face Erdogan at ONE Fight Night 48 on Friday, October 2, with the winner tipped to be in line for a shot at the vacant ONE heavyweight MMA world title.
Elliott carries an 8-2 record into the contest, with every one of his victories coming by knockout. He wrote himself into the promotion's history books in June when he equalled the fastest knockout ever recorded in ONE, needing just six seconds to see off Regan Upshaw.
Asked whether he could repeat that feat against Erdogan, Elliott was doubtful.
I'm probably going to struggle to match that I think. Don't get me wrong, as soon as the bell goes, I do try to finish fights - I'm known for doing that. But he's obviously aware of that now, so he's probably going to keep himself in a defensive position past 10 seconds at least.
Now on a four-fight winning streak, the 34-year-old is bracing himself for arguably the toughest test of his career against Erdogan, a fighter two years older who was born in Russia but competes under the Turkish flag.
I think it's going to be a great fight. He's super skilful, I'm super skilful.
Elliott expects the bout to extend beyond the opening round given the well-rounded nature of his opponent's game.
Because he's quite well-rounded, I think it will probably go past round one. He's pretty resilient, so although I'm very explosive and fast, he's technically sound. It might be a bit of a chess match. He's probably going to try and wrestle me. I could be wrong, but I think that's what he's going to try and do.
He went on to stress just how fine the margins can be in the heavyweight division.
At heavyweight, we all know one shot can change it. We'll both be super switched on and I think it will probably be a razor-thin win for one of us. I don't think it's going to be a draw, I don't think it's going to go the distance. I think one of us is going to leave with our hand raised and it's going to be before the final bell. I believe that whoever wins this will get a title shot.
How the heavyweight title became vacant
The vacancy at heavyweight stems from Anatoly Malykhin's decision to retire immediately after reclaiming the belt. According to MMA Junkie, Malykhin said he was "done" and intended to return home to Altai after winning back the title. His finish over Oumar Kane, which sealed that title win, came at 1:38 of round four, per MMA Sucka. That same report notes Malykhin's retirement did not just leave the heavyweight strap vacant - it effectively emptied all three ONE MMA titles he held at the time.
Elliott named Canada's Ben Tynan as the fighter most likely to be next in line for the vacant belt.
It would be a huge achievement to fight for a title, let alone win one. It would massively change my life.
Tynan's ONE record shows he remained active in the division during this period. His most recent documented outing was a first-round win over Ryugo Takeuchi at ONE Fight Night 40 on February 13, 2026, as confirmed by Sportskeeda and by ONE Championship's own announcement of the matchup. Tapology lists Tynan as a 6-0 heavyweight competing out of Elevation Fight Team, a detail not mentioned by Elliott himself.
Elliott continued to reflect on what fighting for ONE, and potentially winning gold, would mean for him.
Fighting for One Championship alone has definitely elevated my life, it's a great thing. It has definitely put me on the map in the world of fighting. Even with the casual fans; I'm getting noticed a lot more now, which is cool. But to be world champion, that's going to go down in history. It's the pinnacle. Quite frankly, if I can do that it will be the best thing I've ever done in my life.
What else is on the ONE Fight Night 48 card?
Also featuring on the October 2 bill is a significant Muay Thai clash between Luke Lessei and Charlie Guest, with the winner in contention for a shot at Nico Carrillo's featherweight belt.
Guest, another English fighter, holds a 38-15 record and made a winning ONE debut in June, stopping Sam Fitzgerald via second-round TKO. American opponent Lessei, who is 9-3, arrives on the back of a July victory over Mohamed Younes Rabah.
What happens next
Elliott's clash with Erdogan is confirmed for ONE Fight Night 48 on Friday, October 2, 2026, as reported by Sky Sports. Should Elliott come through, attention will turn to whether Ben Tynan - who has continued fighting in the division, including his win over Ryugo Takeuchi in February - is next in line for a shot at the vacant heavyweight crown.
