Ezra Elliott vs. Damien Anderson
UFC Fight Night · July 18, 2026 · Paycom Center
OddsEzra Elliott +110·Damien Anderson -130(DraftKings)
Ezra Elliott def. Damien Anderson — Decision (unanimous), R3 5:00
The card's most 'guaranteed finish' matchup — two undefeated submission artists with zero career decisions between them — went the full fifteen minutes. Elliott, who missed weight by a pound and a half, controlled Anderson with takedowns and top pressure in every round, racking up takedowns at what UFC.com called a record rate for the division, and never let the leg-lock specialist create an entanglement. The 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 cards gave Elliott the first decision of anyone's night — and the first of his career, in his UFC debut.
The breakdown below was written before the fight.
Neither man has ever needed a scorecard and there's no reason to start tonight. The first grappling exchange is the fight: Elliott's chokes come off pace and pressure, Anderson's leg locks off invitation and entanglement. Elliott's higher activity rate and camp pedigree (MMA Lab) earn the lean — Elliott by first-round choke — but a heel hook out of nowhere is exactly Anderson's résumé.
The Matchup
Two undefeated late-notice debutants with a combined 12-0 record, twelve finishes, and zero minutes of judges' input — the UFC deliberately booked a prospect shootout. It's also grappler-versus-grappler with different entry points: Elliott attacks the front headlock the moment a shot or scramble appears; Anderson dives on legs, the one attack that specifically punishes an opponent obsessed with necks. Someone's ground game is about to be revealed as regional-level.
Tale of the Tape
| Ezra Elliott | Damien Anderson | |
|---|---|---|
| 7-0 | Record | 5-0 |
| 26 | Age | 29 |
| 5'9" | Height | 5'7" |
| 72" | Reach | — |
| — | Stance | — |
| United States | Country | United States |
| The MMA Lab (Arizona) | Team | Simple Man Martial Arts / Ambush Muay Thai |
The Numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
Ezra Elliott
An Illinois-born finisher now at Arizona's MMA Lab: 7-0 as a pro with seven stoppages, none of them reaching the second round. Three D'Arce chokes and two rear-nakeds tell you where the fight is going. Signed on late notice for a UFC debut against a fellow unbeaten — the kind of matchmaking where somebody's zero has to go.
- WAshton Caniglia · KO/TKO, R1 2:44RUF 68 · May 2, 2026
- WDe'Aundre Tipton · Submission (rear-naked choke), R1 1:30RUF 65 · November 1, 2025
- WDarian Padgett · Submission (D'Arce choke), R1 1:42RUF 63 · June 28, 2025
Damien Anderson
“Demon Hands”
A Texas-circuit BJJ black belt at 5-0 with five finishes, whose longest pro fight lasted under nine minutes. The nickname says striking; the tape says leg locks — a kneebar and a heel hook in his last two, plus the claim of being the first man to score a knockout in Combat Jiu Jitsu. Another late-notice signee making his UFC debut.
- WHondo Gutierrez · Submission (kneebar), R1 1:52CFFC 150 · February 6, 2026
- WGabriel Wanderley · Submission (heel hook), R2 1:43Fury FC 98 · November 3, 2024
- WEmmanuel Calhoune · Submission (rear-naked choke), R2 3:05Fury FC 95 · August 2, 2024