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UFC Fight Night 194's Matheus Nicolau plots title run during 'best moment' in flyweight history

Matheus Nicolau thinks the time has arrived to make his run at the UFC flyweight championship.

Nicolau (16-2-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has had a very successful career thus far when comparing wins to losses. He gets the chance to pick up arguably his most notable victory to date on Saturday when he meets Tim Elliott (17-11-1 MMA, 6-9 UFC) in the featured flyweight bout at UFC Fight Night 194, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.

After he made his UFC debut in 2015 at age 22, Nicolau promised himself he wouldn’t try to rush things in his career. He thinks that strategy has gone to plan so far, but now 28, Nicolau sees his prime years lining up with an opportunity to make a run toward the top of the 125-pound division.

“I think the flyweight division is in the best moment in the history of the flyweights. We have a lot of great contenders, great champions and we’re going to have the trilogy with (Brandon) Moreno against Deiveson (Figueiredo). My focus is 100 percent on the flyweight, but I’ve fought at bantamweight before in my career and I like it because I don’t suffer too much to make weight. If something knocks on the door I’m always here.

“Little by little I know I will get to the top. That’s my focus, that was always my focus, even when I just got in the UFC. I tried not to rush things. I tried to think step by step. But of course, a victory over Tim Elliott will put me higher in the rankings and put more eyes on me. For sure this is a great thing for my career.”

To hear more from Nicolau, watch his complete UFC Fight Night 194 media day interview above.

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