Darren Elkins Explained

Darren Elkins
Other Names:The Damage
Birth Date:16 May 1984
Birth Place:Portage, Indiana, United States
Weight:145lb
Weight Class:Lightweight (2007–2010)
Featherweight (2011–present)
Reach:71inches[1]
Fighting Out Of:Portage, Indiana, United States
Team:Duneland Vale Tudo
Team Alpha Male (2015–present)[2] [3]
Rank:Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[4]
Wrestling:NCAA Division II Wrestling[5]
Years Active:2007–present
Mma Kowin:9
Mma Subwin:6
Mma Decwin:14
Mma Koloss:4
Mma Subloss:1
Mma Decloss:6
Sherdog:22094

Darren Elkins (born May 16, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist who is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he fights in the Featherweight division. Elkins is known for his toughness and comeback victories.

Background

Elkins was born in Hobart, Indiana and competed four years in wrestling for Portage High School. Elkins placed seventh in the state of Indiana as a freshman, qualified for the state competition as a sophomore, placed third as a junior, and was a State Champion as a high school senior. Darren also won multiple freestyle state championships as a youth. Elkins then went to college for two years and wrestled at University of Wisconsin Parkside, but did not finish his education at the university nor earn a degree.

Mixed martial arts career

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Elkins made his UFC debut on the preliminary card of UFC on Versus 1, where he defeated Duane Ludwig via TKO after Ludwig suffered a serious ankle injury after being taken down by Elkins in the first round.

His next bout took place on the preliminary card of UFC on Versus 2 against Charles Oliveira.[6] Elkins took Oliveira down early, but his opponent quickly attempted a triangle choke. Oliveira then transitioned to an armbar, which forced Elkins to submit.

Elkins was expected to face touted prospect Edson Barboza on November 20, 2010, at UFC 123, but Elkins was forced from the card with an injury and replaced by Mike Lullo.[7]

Elkins made his Featherweight debut against world ranked Michihiro Omigawa on June 11, 2011, at UFC 131. He won the fight via unanimous decision.[8]

Elkins won a unanimous decision over Zhang Tiequan on October 8, 2011, at UFC 136. After several failed guillotine attempts from Zhang, Elkins was able to dominate him from top position including at several points mounting him and pounding away with strikes.[9]

Elkins defeated TUF 14 winner Diego Brandão on May 26, 2012, at UFC 146. Elkins utilized his top game with ground and pound to win the second and third rounds, earning him the unanimous decision victory.[10]

Elkins fought fellow featherweight prospect Steven Siler on November 17, 2012, at UFC 154. After dominating the fight for three rounds, Elkins was awarded the unanimous decision victory, moving him to 4–0 at featherweight and 5-1 overall in the UFC.[11]

Elkins faced Antonio Carvalho on March 16, 2013, at UFC 158. Elkins won via first-round TKO stoppage after landing strikes that rocked Carvalho followed by a knockdown, prompting the referee to intervene.[12]

After taking virtually no damage in the fight against Carvalho, Elkins made a quick return and faced Chad Mendes on April 20, 2013, at UFC on Fox 7, replacing an injured Clay Guida.[13] He lost the fight by 1st-round TKO.[14]

Elkins faced Hatsu Hioki on August 28, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 27. After getting hurt by a body kick late in the first round, Elkins rallied in the last two rounds and won the fight via unanimous decision.[15]

Elkins faced Jeremy Stephens on January 25, 2014, at UFC on Fox 10. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[16]

Elkins was briefly linked to a matchup with Tatsuya Kawajiri on September 20, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 52, but the bout never materialized as Kawajiri was sidelined indefinitely with a detached retina.[17]

Elkins faced Lucas Martins on October 25, 2014, at UFC 179. Elkins won the fight via split decision. The scorecards were 30–27, 30–27, 27–30.[18]

Elkins faced Hacran Dias on December 20, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 58. Fighting in Brazil for his second straight fight, he lost the fight via unanimous decision, 29-28 across the scorecards.[19]

For a third consecutive fight, Elkins appeared on an international card where he faced Robert Whiteford on October 24, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 76. He won the fight via a dominating 30-27 unanimous decision, almost finishing Whiteford on one occasion.[20]

Elkins next faced Chas Skelly on March 5, 2016, at UFC 196. He won the fight by a dominating unanimous decision, 30–26, 30–27, 29–27.[21]

Elkins faced Godofredo Pepey on July 23, 2016, at UFC on Fox 20. He won the fight via dominating unanimous decision, 30–26, 29–27, 29–27.[22]

Elkins faced Mirsad Bektić on March 4, 2017, at UFC 209. After being dominated the first two and a half rounds, Elkins rallied back in the third round and won by knockout due to punches and a head kick. It is widely considered to be one of the greatest comebacks in UFC history.[23] [24] He was awarded a Performance of the Night bonus.[25]

Elkins faced Dennis Bermudez on July 22, 2017, at UFC on Fox 25. He won the back-and-forth fight via split decision, 29–28, 29–28, 28–29.[26]

Elkins faced Michael Johnson on January 14, 2018, at .[27] He won the fight via rear-naked choke submission in round two. The trademark "Damage" weathered a first round storm to complete the comeback and was awarded a Performance of the Night bonus.[28] [29]

Elkins faced Alexander Volkanovski on July 14, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 133.[30] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[31]

Elkins faced Ricardo Lamas on November 17, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 140.[32] He lost the fight via TKO in the third round.[33]

Elkins faced Ryan Hall on July 13, 2019, at UFC on ESPN+ 13.[34] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[35]

Elkins faced Nate Landwehr on May 16, 2020, at .[36] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[37]

Elkins faced Luiz Eduardo Garagorri on November 7, 2020, at .[38] He won the fight via a submission in round three.[39]

Elkins faced Darrick Minner on July 24, 2021, at .[40] He won the bout via TKO.[41] This fight earned him the Performance of the Night award.[42]

Elkins faced Cub Swanson on December 18, 2021, at .[43] He lost the bout via TKO in round one.[44]

Elkins faced Tristan Connelly on April 30, 2022 at UFC on ESPN 35.[45] He won the bout via unanimous decision.[46]

Elkins faced Jonathan Pearce on December 3, 2022, at UFC on ESPN 42.[47] He lost the bout via unanimous decision.[48]

Elkins faced T.J. Brown on October 14, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 230.[49] He won the fight via a rear-naked choke submission in the third round.[50]

Elkins faced Daniel Pineda on October 19, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 245.[51] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[52] This fight earned him his first Fight of the Night award.[53]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record

|-|Win|align=center|29–11|Daniel Pineda|Decision (unanimous)| | |align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Win|align=center|28–11|T.J. Brown|Submission (rear-naked choke)|||align=center|3|align=center|2:23|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Loss|align=center|27–11|Jonathan Pearce|Decision (unanimous)|||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Orlando, Florida, United States||-|Win|align=center|27–10|Tristan Connelly|Decision (unanimous)| ||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Loss|align=center|26–10|Cub Swanson|TKO (spinning wheel kick and punches)|||align=center|1|align=center|2:12|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Win|align=center|26–9|Darrick Minner|TKO (punches)|||align=center|2|align=center|3:48|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Win|align=center|25–9|Luiz Eduardo Garagorri|Submission (rear-naked choke)|||align=center|3|align=center|2:22|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Loss|align=center|24–9|Nate Landwehr|Decision (unanimous)|||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Jacksonville, Florida, United States||-|Loss|align=center|24–8|Ryan Hall|Decision (unanimous)| ||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Sacramento, California, United States||-|Loss|align=center|24–7|Ricardo Lamas|TKO (punches and elbows)| ||align=center|3|align=center|4:09|Buenos Aires, Argentina| |-|Loss|align=center|24–6|Alexander Volkanovski|Decision (unanimous) | ||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Boise, Idaho, United States||-|Win|align=center|24–5|Michael Johnson|Submission (rear-naked choke)|||align=center|2|align=center|2:22|St. Louis, Missouri, United States||-|Win|align=center|23–5|Dennis Bermudez|Decision (split)| ||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Uniondale, New York, United States||-|Win|align=center|22–5|Mirsad Bektić|KO (punches)|UFC 209||align=center|3|align=center|3:19|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States| | |-|Win|align=center|21–5|Godofredo Pepey|Decision (unanimous) | ||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Chicago, Illinois, United States||-|Win|align=center|20–5|Chas Skelly|Decision (unanimous) |UFC 196||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Win|align=center|19–5|Robert Whiteford|Decision (unanimous)|||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Dublin, Ireland||- |Loss|align=center|18–5|Hacran Dias|Decision (unanimous)|||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Barueri, Brazil||-|Win|align=center|18–4|Lucas Martins|Decision (split)|UFC 179||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Rio de Janeiro, Brazil||-|Loss|align=center|17–4|Jeremy Stephens| Decision (unanimous)|||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Chicago, Illinois, United States||-|Win|align=center|17–3|Hatsu Hioki| Decision (unanimous)|||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Indianapolis, Indiana, United States||-|Loss|align=center|16–3|Chad Mendes|TKO (punches)|||align=center|1|align=center|1:08|San Jose, California, United States||-|Win|align=center|16–2|Antonio Carvalho|TKO (punches)|UFC 158||align=center|1|align=center|3:06|Montreal, Quebec, Canada||-|Win|align=center|15–2|Steven Siler|Decision (unanimous)|UFC 154||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Montreal, Quebec, Canada||-|Win|align=center|14–2|Diego Brandão|Decision (unanimous)|UFC 146||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Win|align=center|13–2|Zhang Tiequan|Decision (unanimous)|UFC 136||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Houston, Texas, United States||-|Win|align=center|12–2|Michihiro Omigawa|Decision (unanimous)|UFC 131||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada||-|Loss|align=center|11–2|Charles Oliveira|Submission (armbar)|||align=center|1|align=center|0:41|San Diego, California, United States||-|Win|align=center|11–1|Duane Ludwig|TKO (ankle injury)|||align=center|1|align=center|0:44|Broomfield, Colorado, United States||-|Win|align=center|10–1|Gideon Ray|Decision (unanimous)|Hoosier FC 1: Raise Up||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Valparaiso, Indiana, United States||-|Win|align=center|9–1|Bryan Neville|TKO (punches)|Total Fight Challenge 17||align=center|1|align=center|1:27|Hammond, Indiana, United States||-|Loss|align=center|8–1|Ted Worthington|TKO (doctor stoppage)|Duneland Classic 6||align=center|1|align=center|0:13|Crown Point, Indiana, United States||-|Win|align=center|8–0|Danny Rodriguez|Submission (rear-naked choke)|Total Fight Challenge 15||align=center|1|align=center|1:36|Hammond, Indiana, United States||-|Win|align=center|7–0|Pat Curran|Decision (unanimous)|C3: Domination||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Hammond, Indiana, United States||-|Win|align=center|6–0|Kenny Klein|TKO (punches)|C3: Summer Fight Fest 3||align=center|1|align=center|1:36|Highland, Indiana, United States||-|Win|align=center|5–0|Decarlo Johnson|Submission (guillotine choke)|C3: Corral Combat Classic 2||align=center|2|align=center|0:24|Hammond, Indiana, United States||-|Win|align=center|4–0|Atsuhiro Tsuboi|Submission (Von Flue choke)|Bodog Fight: Vancouver||align=center|1|align=center|1:55|Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada||-|Win|align=center|3–0|Daniel Wanderley|TKO (corner stoppage)|IMMAC 2: Attack||align=center|1|align=center|5:00|Chicago, Illinois, United States||-|Win|align=center|2–0|Matt Joseph|TKO (punches)|Bourbon Street Brawl 3||align=center|1|align=center|N/A|Chicago, Illinois, United States||-|Win|align=center|1–0|Jeremy Markam|TKO (punches)|Bourbon Street Brawl 2||align=center|1|align=center|N/A|Chicago, Illinois, United States||-[57]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Fight Card - UFC 179 Aldo vs. Mendes 2. UFC.com. October 28, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141028035654/http://www.ufc.com/event/UFC179/printFightCard. October 28, 2014. dead.
  2. Web site: Despite uprooting family for California, Portage grad Darren Elkins staying blue collar. nwitimes.com. Matt Erickson. 2016-03-06. 2016-03-06.
  3. Web site: Darren Elkins: The Damage Awakens. Thomas Gerbasi. October 16, 2015. Ultimate Fighting Championship.
  4. Web site: Darren Elkins UFC. UFC.com. September 14, 2018 . December 19, 2021.
  5. News: Darren Elkins - Blue Collar Tough. UFC.com. Thomas Gerbasi. November 14, 2012.
  6. Web site: Gunderson vs. Holst official for TUF 11 Finale, Elkins vs. Oliveira to UFC on Versus 2. John Morgan. MMAjunkie. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121015205809/http://mmajunkie.com/news/19430/gunderson-vs-holst-official-for-tuf-11-finale-elkins-vs-oliveira-to-ufc-on-versus-2.mma. 2012-10-15.
  7. Web site: Darren Elkins out, newcomer Mike Lullo in for UFC 123 prelims . mmajunkie.com . 2010-11-11 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101117064702/http://mmajunkie.com/news/21353/darren-elkins-out-newcomer-mike-lullo-in-for-ufc-123-prelims.mma . 2010-11-17 .
  8. Web site: UFC 131 Results: Darren Elkins defeats Michihiro Omigawa by unanimous decision. bloodyelbow.com. Leland Roling. 2011-06-11. 2011-06-11.
  9. Web site: UFC 136 Results: Darren Elkins out grapples Tiequan Zhang, wins decision. bloodyelbow.com. Leland Roling. 2011-10-08. 2011-10-08.
  10. Web site: UFC 146 results: Battered Darren Elkins survives, upsets Diego Brandao. mmajunkie.com. Staff. 2012-05-27. 2012-05-27.
  11. Web site: UFC 154 results: Darren Elkins dominates Steven Siler to take unanimous decision. mmajunkie.com. Matt Erickson. 2012-11-17. 2012-11-17.
  12. Web site: UFC 158 results: Darren Elkins clips Antonio Carvalho, earns quick stop. mmajunkie.com. Matt Erickson. 2013-03-17. 2013-03-17.
  13. Web site: Darren Elkins steps in for Clay Guida, meets Chad Mendes at UFC on FOX 7 . mmajunkie.com . Matt Erickson . March 19, 2013 . March 19, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130321102551/http://www.mmajunkie.com/news/2013/03/darren-elkins-steps-in-for-clay-guida-meets-chad-mendes-at-ufc-on-fox-7 . March 21, 2013 .
  14. Web site: UFC on FOX 7 results: Chad Mendes stops Darren Elkins by TKO. mmafighting.com. Mike Chiapetta. 2013-04-20. 2013-04-20.
  15. Web site: UFC Fight Night 27 Prelims: Darren Elkins upsets Hatsu Hioki in Indianapolis. sherdog.com. Brian Knapp. 2013-08-28. 2013-08-28.
  16. Web site: UFC on FOX 10 results: Jeremy Stephens defeats Darren Elkins by Unanimous Decision. fansided.com. Alex Schlinsky. 2014-01-25. 2014-01-25.
  17. Web site: Tatsuya Kawajiri out of UFC: Japan with detached retina. bloodyelbow.com . Anton Tabuena. 2014-06-25. 2014-06-25.
  18. Web site: UFC 179 results, photos: Darren Elkins goes deep to down Lucas Martins. mmajunkie.com. Ben Fowlkes. 2014-10-25. 2013-10-25.
  19. Web site: UFC Fight Night 58 results: Hacran Dias outwrestles Darren Elkins for decision win. mmajunkie.com. Steven Marrocco. 2014-12-20. 2014-12-20.
  20. Web site: UFC Fight Night 76 results: Darren Elkins grinds out Robert Whiteford for sweep. mmajunkie.com. Brent Brookhouse. 2015-10-24. 2015-10-24.
  21. Web site: UFC 196 results: Darren Elkins' grinding attack too much for Chas Skelly. mmajunkie.com. Brent Brookhouse. 2016-03-05. 2016-03-05.
  22. News: UFC on FOX 20 results: Darren Elkins overcomes foul, beats Godofredo Pepey. mmafighting.com. Dave Doyle. 2016-07-23. 2016-07-23.
  23. News: UFC 209 results: Darren Elkins stops Mirsad Bektic in thrilling comeback. mmafighting.com. Dave Doyle. 2017-03-04. 2017-03-04.
  24. Web site: Darren Elkins and the impossible comeback. mmafighting.com. Shaun Al-Shatti. 2017-03-08. 2017-03-08.
  25. Web site: UFC 209 bonuses: Teymur, Vannata, Elkins, Alcantara capture $50K awards. sherdog.com. Tristen Critchfield. 2017-03-05. 2017-03-05.
  26. News: UFC on FOX 25 results: Darren Elkins turns in gritty performance to beat Dennis Bermudez. 2017-07-23. MMAjunkie. 2017-07-23. en-US.
  27. News: Michael Johnson drops to featherweight, meets Darren Elkins at UFC Fight Night 124. sherdog.com. Tristen Critchfield. 2017-11-09. 2017-11-09.
  28. News: Darren Elkins Shocks Michael Johnson In St. Louis. Quiles. Fernando Jr.. 2018-01-14. LowKickMMA.com. 2018-01-15. en-US.
  29. Web site: UFC Fight Night 124 Bonuses: Stephens, Choi, Elkins, Reyes Receive $50K Checks. sherdog.com. Tristen Critchfield. 2018-01-14. 2018-01-14.
  30. Web site: Darren Elkins vs Alexander Volkanovski added to UFC Fight Night 133 in Idaho. mmamad.com. Dale Jordan. 2018-05-09. 2018-05-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20180510014140/https://www.mmamad.com/darren-elkins-vs-alexander-volkanovski-added-to-ufc-fight-night-133-in-idaho/. 2018-05-10. dead.
  31. Web site: UFC Fight Night 133 results: Alex Volkanovski tops typically gritty Darren Elkins. mmajunkie.com. Matt Erickson. 2018-07-14. 2018-07-15.
  32. News: Darren Elkins meets Ricardo Lamas in UFC Buenos Aires co-headliner. mmajunkie.com. Staff. 2018-10-23. 2018-10-23.
  33. News: UFC Argentina results: Ricardo Lamas earns third-round finish of Darren Elkins. mmafighting.com. Dave Doyle. 2018-11-18. 2018-11-19.
  34. Web site: Cynthia Calvillo-Livinha Souza, Ryan Hall-Darren Elkins among UFC Sacramento bouts announced. 2019-05-15. MMA Junkie. en. 2019-05-15.
  35. Web site: UFC Sacramento: Ryan Hall dominates Darren Elkins in one-sided fight. Orl. oyo. 2019-07-13. FanSided. en-US. 2019-07-14.
  36. Web site: UFC reveals full fight cards for May 13 and May 16 events. Martin. Damon. 2020-05-01. MMA Fighting. en. 2020-05-04.
  37. Web site: Darren Elkins vs. Nate Landwehr Results and News - UFC FIGHT NIGHT: Overeem vs. Harris - MMA Fighting. www.mmafighting.com. 2020-05-17.
  38. Web site: Darren Elkins meets Eduardo Garagorri on November 7. mmadna.nl. Redactie. 2020-09-29. 2020-09-29. en-nl.
  39. Web site: Harshman. Heath. 2020-11-07. UFC Vegas 13 Results: Darren Elkins Snaps Skid, Submits Eduardo Garagorri. 2020-11-08. Cageside Press. en-US.
  40. Web site: Darren Elkins vs. Darrick Minner added to UFC Fight Night on July 24. mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Farah Hannoun. 2021-05-21. 2021-05-21.
  41. Web site: Anderson. Jay. 2021-07-24. UFC Vegas 32 Results: Darren Elkins Mounts Second Round Comeback, Stops Darrick Miner. 2021-07-25. Cageside Press. en-US.
  42. Web site: UFC Vegas 32 bonuses: Darren Elkins, Adrian Yanez lead $50K winners . mmamania.com. Dan Hiergesell. 2021-07-24. 2021-07-24.
  43. Web site: Lee. Alexander K.. 2021-09-30. Cub Swanson vs. Darren Elkins added to Dec. 18 UFC card. 2021-10-01. MMA Fighting. en.
  44. Web site: Miller. Timothy. 2021-12-18. UFC Vegas 45: Cub Swanson Overwhelms, Stops Darren Elkins Early. 2021-12-19. Cageside Press. en-US.
  45. Web site: Newswire. MMA Fighting. 2022-02-17. Darren Elkins vs. Tristan Connelly set for April 30 UFC event. 2022-02-18. MMA Fighting. en.
  46. Web site: Anderson . Jay . 2022-04-30 . UFC Vegas 53: Darren Elkins Wins Gruelling, Hard-Hitting Scrap with Tristan Connelly . 2022-05-01 . Cageside Press . en-US.
  47. Web site: 2022-09-05 . Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Aug. 29-Sept. 4) . 2022-10-05 . MMA Junkie . en-US.
  48. Web site: Doherty . Dan . UFC Orlando: Jonathan Pearce Batters Bloodied Darren Elkins . Cageside Press . 5 December 2022 . 3 December 2022.
  49. Web site: Raghuwanshi . Vipin . 2023-08-24 . Darren Elkins vs. TJ Brown 145 lbs bout on tap for UFC Vegas 81 . 2023-06-02 . www.itnwwe.com . en-US.
  50. Web site: 2023-10-14 . UFC Vegas 81: Darren Elkins Subs TJ Brown In Fight Brimming with Fun Grappling Exchanges . 2023-10-14 . Cageside Press . en-us.
  51. Web site: Anderson . Jay . 2024-09-02 . UFC: Daniel Pineda vs. Darren Elkins Set for October 19 . 2024-09-02 . Cageside Press . en-US.
  52. Web site: UFC Vegas 99: Darren Elkins Sends Daniel Pineda Into Retirement. cagesidepress.com. Bryan Hester. 2024-10-19. 2024-10-19.
  53. Web site: UFC Vegas 99 Bonus Report: Darren Elkins and Daniel Pineda earn FOTN honors. bjpenn.com. Chris Taylor. 2024-10-19. 2024-10-19.
  54. Web site: UFC Stats - Featherweight Division. UFC.com. October 14, 2023. ufc.com.
  55. Web site: UFC Fighter Stats. UFC. UFC. October 19, 2024.
  56. Web site: MMAjunkie's '2017 Comeback of the Year': Darren Elkins lives up to 'The Damage' nickname. mmajunkie.com. Dann Stupp. 2018-01-05. 2018-01-05.
  57. Web site: Darren. Sherdog.com. Sherdog. 2020-05-17.

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