Elisha Ellison Record: 5-3-0

UFC debut

Ellison got his Octagon call for a UFC Fight Night in September 2025, where he faced fellow newcomer Brando Peričić. It was a short night in the heavyweight division, where one clean shot can end everything: Peričić caught Ellison and stopped him by knockout with punches at 1:55 of the first round, handing him his second professional loss and dropping him to 5-2. Despite the result, the UFC kept faith in the powerful prospect. He is next scheduled to meet former Olympic and world-champion wrestler Gable Steveson at UFC 329 in July 2026 – a high-profile assignment that pits Ellison's heavy hands against one of the most decorated grappling backgrounds in the sport.

Fighting style

Ellison is a knockout artist with a 100% finish rate across his five wins – four by KO/TKO and one by submission, and every victory has come inside the first round. He hunts the finish from the opening bell, using quick combinations and that 78-inch reach to land first in heavyweight exchanges where speed is a genuine advantage. His grappling is functional, as the guillotine finish of Tuani showed, but his two losses both came on the mat or to a clean counter, exposing the same risk that shadows every fast-starting heavyweight: when the early finish does not come, or an opponent lands first, the margins are razor-thin. The Steveson matchup will be the truest test yet of whether his takedown defense can keep the fight where his power lives.

Career highlights

• Perfect 100% finish rate — all five of his professional wins came inside the first round, four by knockout and one by submission.
• No. 1 regional amateur heavyweight — rose to the top of his area's amateur ranks before quickly turning pro and earning a UFC contract.
• High-profile UFC booking — slated to face decorated wrestler Gable Steveson at UFC 329, a marquee spotlight for a young heavyweight.