Paul Elliott backs his power to carry him to shot at ONE Championship MMA heavyweight world title

British heavyweight Paul Elliott is bracing for the biggest moment of his career.

The Middlesbrough knockout artist could be one victory away from a crack at the vacant ONE heavyweight MMA world championship. A win over undefeated Turkish contender Shamil Erdogan in the main event of ONE Fight Night 48 could punch his ticket to a title shot.

Elliott treats every fight as a reason to be in the best shape of his life, and this one is no different.

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"Every single fight I have is motivational because if you don't put yourself in good condition, you're going to get your ass kicked in there. That's without any disrespect to my opponent. He's very good," Elliott said.

Very good may be an understatement.

Erdogan enters this heavyweight contest with a perfect 13-0 professional MMA record and a 70 per cent finishing rate. The 36-year-old fighter has stopped each of his last eight opponents, and all five of his ONE Championship wins have come by knockout.

Yet for all his power, Erdogan's roots lie on the mat. He took up freestyle wrestling at 12 years old and went on to represent both the Russian and Turkish national teams, even beating former three-division MMA world champion Anatoly Malykhin at a tournament in Russia.

Elliott acknowledges the threat, but he believes the contest will be decided on the feet.

"He's super well-rounded. But I do think his wrestling is better than his striking. Is my striking better than his striking? I believe it is," Elliott said.

"I think I carry more power. I'm definitely more explosive, and I don't think he's fought anyone as explosive as me. I feel like my contractile tissue, my strength, alongside my explosiveness, will help me a lot in this fight."

On current evidence, that is hard to argue with.

The Brit, who owns an 8-2 (1 NC) record, has earned every victory by knockout, seven of them inside the opening minute. The latest came against American college football star Regan Upshaw, whom he dispatched with a head kick and ground punch in just six seconds, tying the fastest knockout in ONE Championship history.

His preparation has been just as serious. Elliott trains at TFT MMA among a who's who of British heavyweight talent, sharing the mats with the likes of UFC star Mick Parkin, KSW Heavyweight Champion Phil De Fries, and Cage Warriors veteran Charles Joyner as he rounds out his game.

"It's a fantastic group of lads," Elliott said. "I believe it's the best heavyweight team in the world. I've got a fantastic room full of heavyweights to train with."

Elliott knows full well the aura of invincibility that surrounds Erdogan. But the Middlesborough native has prepared for this moment, he believes he can live with the Turk's skillset, and he knows that at heavyweight, one shot can change everything.

"He's human. He bleeds. So, there's definitely potential for me to beat him. Can I knock him out? If I land, I know I can knock him out," the Briton said.

"That's definitely in my favour. I know I can knock him out."

Erdogan has spent his career making opponents look ordinary. On Saturday morning, Elliott gets the chance to prove that a perfect record lasts only until someone lands clean - and if he does, a world title shot could be waiting on the other side.

Watch ONE Fight Night 48 live on Sky Sports Mix from 2am on Saturday October 3.