Elves Brener’s Second Act

Not much was expected from Elves Brener in his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut, as evidenced by the fact that he closed as a 4-to-1 underdog against Zubaira Tukhugov at UFC 284 in February. Four-plus months and a contentious split decision over Tukhugov later, and the oddsmakers continue to show him precious little respect.

Brener will draw his second Octagon assignment when he meets the heavily favored Guram Kutateladze as part of the UFC on ESPN 48 undercard this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Having established a modest foothold in the organization’s lightweight division, the Brazilian vowed to take a more aggressive approach in his sophomore appearance.

“Now that I’m on my second bout, I can go for a knockout or a submission,” Brener told Sherdog.com. “It’s what I like. I like feeling like I’m in a war. Against Tukhugov, I found my distance early on, so it was easier to keep scoring points without exposing myself too much. I had spoken to my cornermen between every round. My goal was to guarantee a win so I could start out in the promotion on the right foot. This time, you can be sure I’ll go for a finish. If [UFC President] Dana White is in attendance, he’ll love what he sees.

“I feel great now that I had my UFC debut,” he added. “My family and I come from a very humble background. Everything feels surreal. Tukhugov had said in an interview that facing me was a gift. In reality, I’m the one who received gifts: my money, plus a percentage of his pay since he didn’t make weight.”

Brener recognizes that his upset win was by no means a given before the split scorecards were read. Tukhugov outlanded him 70-69 in significant strikes and was credited with more than two minutes of control time. Popular opinion aside, Brener believes he deserved the decision.

“I totally respect Zubaira,” he said. “I knew he was going to be very tough. I made weight. It was my UFC debut. I was booked at the last minute. I demonstrated I was better. I finished the fight better than him. I landed the better strikes. I hurt his face and leg. Before the very end, I already felt I had won.”

Kutateladze promises to be another difficult obstacle to overcome. The “Georgian Viking” has rattled off nine victories in his past 10 outings but finds himself on the rebound following a split decision defeat to Damir Ismagulov at UFC on ESPN 37 in June 2022. Neither man figures to struggle finding motivation ahead of their confrontation at 155 pounds.

“Besides bringing another win home, God willing, I want to fight again before year’s end, preferably in Brazil,” Brener said. “By 2024, I’d like to be facing a Top 15 opponent. I know I’m new to the UFC, but my goal is to get to the top. It’s going to happen. It’s unavoidable.”