Darren Elkins
Darren Elkins (born May 16, 1984)[6] is an American mixed martial artist signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he fights in the Featherweight division. Elkins is known for his toughness and comeback victories.
| Darren Elkins | |
|---|---|
| Born | Darren Elkins May 16, 1984 Portage, Indiana, United States |
| Other names | The Damage |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 145 lb (66 kg; 10.4 st) |
| Division | Lightweight (2007–2010) Featherweight (2011–present) |
| Reach | 71 in (180 cm)[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 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 38 |
| Wins | 27 |
| By knockout | 9 |
| By submission | 5 |
| By decision | 13 |
| Losses | 11 |
| By knockout | 4 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 6 |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
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.[4]
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.[7] 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.[8]
Elkins made his Featherweight debut against world ranked Michihiro Omigawa on June 11, 2011, at UFC 131. He won the fight via unanimous decision.[9]
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.[10]
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.[11]
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.[12]
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.[13]
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.[14] He lost the fight by 1st-round TKO.[15]
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.[16]
Elkins faced Jeremy Stephens on January 25, 2014, at UFC on Fox 10. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[17]
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.[18]
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.[19]
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.[20]
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.[21]
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.[22]
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.[23]
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.[24][25] He was awarded a Performance of the Night bonus.[26]
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.[27]
Elkins faced Michael Johnson on January 14, 2018, at UFC Fight Night: Stephens vs. Choi.[28] 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.[29][30]
Elkins faced Alexander Volkanovski on July 14, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 133.[31] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[32]
Elkins faced Ricardo Lamas on November 17, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 140.[33] He lost the fight via TKO in the third round.[34]
Elkins faced Ryan Hall on July 13, 2019, at UFC on ESPN+ 13.[35] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[36]
Elkins faced Nate Landwehr on May 16, 2020, at UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Harris.[37] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[38]
Return to winning
Elkins faced Luiz Eduardo Garagorri on November 7, 2020, at UFC on ESPN: Santos vs. Teixeira.[39] He won the fight via a submission in round three.[40]
Elkins faced Darrick Minner on July 24, 2021, at UFC on ESPN: Sandhagen vs. Dillashaw.[41] He won the bout via TKO.[42] This fight earned him the Performance of the Night award.[43]
Elkins faced Cub Swanson on December 18, 2021, at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Daukaus.[44] He lost the bout via TKO in round one.[45]
Elkins faced Tristan Connelly on April 30, 2022 at UFC on ESPN 35.[46] He won the bout via unanimous decision.[47]
Elkins faced Jonathan Pearce on December 3, 2022, at UFC on ESPN 42.[48] He lost the bout via unanimous decision.[49]
Championships and accomplishments
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Performance of the Night (Three times) vs. Mirsad Bektić, Michael Johnson and Darrick Minner[43]
- Most fights in the UFC Featherweight division (25)[50]
- Most decision wins in the UFC Featherweight division (11)[51]
- Most unanimous decision wins in the UFC Featherweight division (9)
- Most takedowns landed in the UFC Featherweight division (54)
- Most submission attempts in the UFC Featherweight division (22)[51]
- MMAJunkie.com
- 2017 Comeback of the Year vs. Mirsad Bektić[52]
Mixed martial arts record
| 38 matches | 27 wins | 11 losses |
| By knockout | 9 | 4 |
| By submission | 5 | 1 |
| By decision | 13 | 6 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 27–11 | Jonathan Pearce | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Thompson vs. Holland | December 3, 2022 | 3 | 5:00 | Orlando, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 27–10 | Tristan Connelly | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Font vs. Vera | April 30, 2022 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 26–10 | Cub Swanson | TKO (spinning wheel kick and punches) | UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Daukaus | December 18, 2021 | 1 | 2:12 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 26–9 | Darrick Minner | TKO (punches) | UFC on ESPN: Sandhagen vs. Dillashaw | July 24, 2021 | 2 | 3:48 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 25–9 | Luiz Eduardo Garagorri | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC on ESPN: Santos vs. Teixeira | November 7, 2020 | 3 | 2:22 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 24–9 | Nate Landwehr | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Harris | May 16, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Jacksonville, Florida, United States | |
| Loss | 24–8 | Ryan Hall | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: de Randamie vs. Ladd | July 13, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Sacramento, California, United States | |
| Loss | 24–7 | Ricardo Lamas | TKO (elbows and punches) | UFC Fight Night: Magny vs. Ponzinibbio | November 17, 2018 | 3 | 4:09 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | |
| Loss | 24–6 | Alexander Volkanovski | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Ivanov | July 14, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Boise, Idaho, United States | |
| Win | 24–5 | Michael Johnson | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC Fight Night: Stephens vs. Choi | January 14, 2018 | 2 | 2:22 | St. Louis, Missouri, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 23–5 | Dennis Bermudez | Decision (split) | UFC on Fox: Weidman vs. Gastelum | July 22, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Uniondale, New York, United States | |
| Win | 22–5 | Mirsad Bektić | KO (punches) | UFC 209 | March 4, 2017 | 3 | 3:19 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 21–5 | Godofredo Pepey | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Holm vs. Shevchenko | July 23, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | |
| Win | 20–5 | Chas Skelly | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 196 | March 5, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 19–5 | Robert Whiteford | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Holohan vs. Smolka | October 24, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Dublin, Ireland | |
| Loss | 18–5 | Hacran Dias | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Dollaway | December 20, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Barueri, Brazil | |
| Win | 18–4 | Lucas Martins | Decision (split) | UFC 179 | October 25, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Loss | 17–4 | Jeremy Stephens | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Thomson | January 25, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | |
| Win | 17–3 | Hatsu Hioki | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Kampmann 2 | August 28, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Indianapolis, Indiana, United States | |
| Loss | 16–3 | Chad Mendes | TKO (punches) | UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Melendez | April 20, 2013 | 1 | 1:08 | San Jose, California, United States | |
| Win | 16–2 | Antonio Carvalho | TKO (punches) | UFC 158 | March 16, 2013 | 1 | 3:06 | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| Win | 15–2 | Steven Siler | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 154 | November 17, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| Win | 14–2 | Diego Brandão | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 146 | May 26, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 13–2 | Zhang Tiequan | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 136 | October 8, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Houston, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 12–2 | Michihiro Omigawa | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 131 | June 11, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | Featherweight debut. |
| Loss | 11–2 | Charles Oliveira | Submission (armbar) | UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko | August 1, 2010 | 1 | 0:41 | San Diego, California, United States | |
| Win | 11–1 | Duane Ludwig | TKO (ankle injury) | UFC Live: Vera vs. Jones | March 21, 2010 | 1 | 0:44 | Broomfield, Colorado, United States | |
| Win | 10–1 | Gideon Ray | Decision (unanimous) | Hoosier FC 1: Raise Up | November 20, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Valparaiso, Indiana, United States | |
| Win | 9–1 | Bryan Neville | TKO (punches) | Total Fight Challenge 17 | October 10, 2009 | 1 | 1:27 | Hammond, Indiana, United States | |
| Loss | 8–1 | Ted Worthington | TKO (doctor stoppage) | Duneland Classic 6 | September 12, 2009 | 1 | 0:13 | Crown Point, Indiana, United States | |
| Win | 8–0 | Danny Rodriguez | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Total Fight Challenge 15 | May 30, 2009 | 1 | 1:36 | Hammond, Indiana, United States | |
| Win | 7–0 | Pat Curran | Decision (unanimous) | C3: Domination | November 22, 2008 | 3 | 5:00 | Hammond, Indiana, United States | Won the C3 Lightweight Championship. |
| Win | 6–0 | Kenny Klein | TKO (punches) | C3: Summer Fight Fest 3 | August 15, 2008 | 1 | 1:36 | Highland, Indiana, United States | |
| Win | 5–0 | Decarlo Johnson | Submission (guillotine choke) | C3: Corral Combat Classic 2 | April 26, 2008 | 2 | 0:24 | Hammond, Indiana, United States | |
| Win | 4–0 | Atsuhiro Tsuboi | Submission (Von Flue choke) | Bodog Fight: Vancouver | August 24, 2007 | 1 | 1:55 | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | |
| Win | 3–0 | Daniel Wanderley | TKO (corner stoppage) | IMMAC 2: Attack | April 21, 2007 | 1 | 5:00 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Matt Joseph | TKO (punches) | Bourbon Street Brawl 3 | April 4, 2007 | 1 | N/A | Chicago, Illinois, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Jeremy Markam | TKO (punches) | Bourbon Street Brawl 2 | January 24, 2007 | 1 | N/A | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
See also
References
- ^ . UFC.com. Archived from the original on October 28, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
- ^ Matt Erickson (2016-03-06). "Despite uprooting family for California, Portage grad Darren Elkins staying blue collar". nwitimes.com. Retrieved 2016-03-06.
- ^ Thomas Gerbasi (October 16, 2015). "Darren Elkins: The Damage Awakens". Ultimate Fighting Championship.
- ^ a b "Darren Elkins | UFC". UFC.com. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
- ^ Thomas Gerbasi (November 14, 2012). "Darren Elkins - Blue Collar Tough". UFC.com.
- ^ Mixed martial arts show results Date: March 4, 2017
- ^ John Morgan. . MMAjunkie. Archived from the original on 2012-10-15.
- ^ . mmajunkie.com. Archived from the original on 2010-11-17. Retrieved 2010-11-11.
- ^ Leland Roling (2011-06-11). "UFC 131 Results: Darren Elkins defeats Michihiro Omigawa by unanimous decision". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2011-06-11.
- ^ Leland Roling (2011-10-08). "UFC 136 Results: Darren Elkins out grapples Tiequan Zhang, wins decision". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2011-10-08.
- ^ Staff (2012-05-27). "UFC 146 results: Battered Darren Elkins survives, upsets Diego Brandao". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2012-05-27.
- ^ Matt Erickson (2012-11-17). "UFC 154 results: Darren Elkins dominates Steven Siler to take unanimous decision". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2012-11-17.
- ^ Matt Erickson (2013-03-17). "UFC 158 results: Darren Elkins clips Antonio Carvalho, earns quick stop". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
- ^ Matt Erickson (March 19, 2013). . mmajunkie.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2013. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
- ^ Mike Chiapetta (2013-04-20). "UFC on FOX 7 results: Chad Mendes stops Darren Elkins by TKO". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2013-04-20.
- ^ Brian Knapp (2013-08-28). "UFC Fight Night 27 Prelims: Darren Elkins upsets Hatsu Hioki in Indianapolis". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
- ^ Alex Schlinsky (2014-01-25). "UFC on FOX 10 results: Jeremy Stephens defeats Darren Elkins by Unanimous Decision". fansided.com. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
- ^ Anton Tabuena (2014-06-25). "Tatsuya Kawajiri out of UFC: Japan with detached retina". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
- ^ Ben Fowlkes (2014-10-25). "UFC 179 results, photos: Darren Elkins goes deep to down Lucas Martins". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2013-10-25.
- ^ Steven Marrocco (2014-12-20). "UFC Fight Night 58 results: Hacran Dias outwrestles Darren Elkins for decision win". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2014-12-20.
- ^ Brent Brookhouse (2015-10-24). "UFC Fight Night 76 results: Darren Elkins grinds out Robert Whiteford for sweep". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-10-24.
- ^ Brent Brookhouse (2016-03-05). "UFC 196 results: Darren Elkins' grinding attack too much for Chas Skelly". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
- ^ Dave Doyle (2016-07-23). "UFC on FOX 20 results: Darren Elkins overcomes foul, beats Godofredo Pepey". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2016-07-23.
- ^ Dave Doyle (2017-03-04). "UFC 209 results: Darren Elkins stops Mirsad Bektic in thrilling comeback". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2017-03-04.
- ^ Shaun Al-Shatti (2017-03-08). "Darren Elkins and the impossible comeback". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2017-03-08.
- ^ Tristen Critchfield (2017-03-05). "UFC 209 bonuses: Teymur, Vannata, Elkins, Alcantara capture $50K awards". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
- ^ "UFC on FOX 25 results: Darren Elkins turns in gritty performance to beat Dennis Bermudez". MMAjunkie. 2017-07-23. Retrieved 2017-07-23.
- ^ Tristen Critchfield (2017-11-09). "Michael Johnson drops to featherweight, meets Darren Elkins at UFC Fight Night 124". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2017-11-09.
- ^ Quiles, Fernando Jr. (2018-01-14). "Darren Elkins Shocks Michael Johnson In St. Louis". LowKickMMA.com. Retrieved 2018-01-15.
- ^ Tristen Critchfield (2018-01-14). "UFC Fight Night 124 Bonuses: Stephens, Choi, Elkins, Reyes Receive $50K Checks". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2018-01-14.
- ^ Dale Jordan (2018-05-09). . mmamad.com. Archived from the original on 2018-05-10. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
- ^ Matt Erickson (2018-07-14). "UFC Fight Night 133 results: Alex Volkanovski tops typically gritty Darren Elkins". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2018-07-15.
- ^ Staff (2018-10-23). "Darren Elkins meets Ricardo Lamas in UFC Buenos Aires co-headliner". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
- ^ Dave Doyle (2018-11-18). "UFC Argentina results: Ricardo Lamas earns third-round finish of Darren Elkins". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2018-11-19.
- ^ "Cynthia Calvillo-Livinha Souza, Ryan Hall-Darren Elkins among UFC Sacramento bouts announced". MMA Junkie. 2019-05-15. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
- ^ Orl; oyo (2019-07-13). "UFC Sacramento: Ryan Hall dominates Darren Elkins in one-sided fight". FanSided. Retrieved 2019-07-14.
- ^ Martin, Damon (2020-05-01). "UFC reveals full fight cards for May 13 and May 16 events". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
- ^ "Darren Elkins vs. Nate Landwehr Results and News - UFC FIGHT NIGHT: Overeem vs. Harris - MMA Fighting". www.mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-05-17.
- ^ Redactie (2020-09-29). "Darren Elkins meets Eduardo Garagorri on November 7". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
- ^ Harshman, Heath (2020-11-07). "UFC Vegas 13 Results: Darren Elkins Snaps Skid, Submits Eduardo Garagorri". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
- ^ Farah Hannoun (2021-05-21). "Darren Elkins vs. Darrick Minner added to UFC Fight Night on July 24". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
- ^ Anderson, Jay (2021-07-24). "UFC Vegas 32 Results: Darren Elkins Mounts Second Round Comeback, Stops Darrick Miner". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
- ^ a b Dan Hiergesell (2021-07-24). "UFC Vegas 32 bonuses: Darren Elkins, Adrian Yanez lead $50K winners". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2021-07-24.
- ^ Lee, Alexander K. (2021-09-30). "Cub Swanson vs. Darren Elkins added to Dec. 18 UFC card". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
- ^ Miller, Timothy (2021-12-18). "UFC Vegas 45: Cub Swanson Overwhelms, Stops Darren Elkins Early". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
- ^ Newswire, MMA Fighting (2022-02-17). "Darren Elkins vs. Tristan Connelly set for April 30 UFC event". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
- ^ Anderson, Jay (2022-04-30). "UFC Vegas 53: Darren Elkins Wins Gruelling, Hard-Hitting Scrap with Tristan Connelly". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
- ^ "Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Aug. 29-Sept. 4)". MMA Junkie. 2022-09-05. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
- ^ Doherty, Dan (3 December 2022). "UFC Orlando: Jonathan Pearce Batters Bloodied Darren Elkins". Cageside Press. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ Mike Bohn (December 14, 2021). "UFC Fight Night 199 pre-event facts: Derrick Lewis goes for all-time knockout record". MMAjunkie.com.
- ^ a b UFC.com (February 14, 2022). "UFC Stats - Featherweight Division". ufc.com.
- ^ Dann Stupp (2018-01-05). "MMAjunkie's '2017 Comeback of the Year': Darren Elkins lives up to 'The Damage' nickname". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2018-01-05.
- ^ Sherdog.com. "Darren". Sherdog. Retrieved 2020-05-17.