After 19 UFC Wins and Countless Wars, Darren Elkins Leaves the Octagon With One Message

Darren Elkins wanted a feel-good ending. After 16 years in the UFC, the veteran featherweight wanted to walk away on his own terms, gloves down in the Octagon, and a final memory worthy of everything that came before.

Instead, “The Cuban Problem,” Yadier del Valle needed just 35 seconds to end Elkins’ farewell fight at UFC Vegas 120. It was brutal and hardly the storybook finish the American veteran had imagined. As he sat beside Daniel Cormier afterward, there was surprisingly little bitterness. 

Darren Elkins has No Regrets About How his UFC Journey Ended

“I wanted my happy ending,” Elkins admitted after the loss. “But shoot, shoot, man. I've had so many happy endings in my life.” That might have been the most fitting way for “The Damage” to close the book on an illustrious career. 

There was disappointment in his voice. How could there not be? He had waited more than a year for one final opportunity to compete, knowing this would be the last time he walked into the Octagon as a professional fighter. He wanted to leave with a win.

Instead, he was knocked out in under a mnute. But Elkins did not let one bad night rewrite his lengthy career. “I’m thankful,” he said. “I’m thankful that I have my health. I have my family. It’s emotional, but, man, was it a fun ride.”

Rough Fights Define Darren Elkins' Career

The “Hoosier” spent much of his career fighting the kind of fights that could age a fighter quickly. Although he was never the biggest name on the card and rarely had an easy road to the next opportunity. More often than not, he had to earn his place again. He certainly did.

Looking back, Elkins said he was proud of what he accomplished, particularly because of where he came from. “I’m a guy from Indiana, a small town,” he said, “and nobody’s done this in my time like this before.”

In short, he wasn't simply proud of the wins or the longevity. Rather, he was proud that he had managed to build something few people from his hometown could have imagined. Then came the message he wanted his children to take from watching their father spend more than a decade competing at the highest level.

“One is never give up on yourself, and through hard work, you can do anything,” the veteran said with a heavy heart. “Those are the two things I want them to know.”

Darren Elkins: An Underrated UFC Legacy Defined by Grit

Elkins entered professional MMA in 2007 and worked his way through the Midwest regional scene before finally receiving his big UFC breakthrough in 2010.

He fought Duane Ludwig in his UFC debut, where he picked up a TKO victory after Ludwig suffered an injury. His next fight was against a young Charles Oliveira, who submitted him and provided an early reminder of just how unforgiving the UFC could be.

But the defeat didn’t get to him. After dropping down to featherweight, he managed to bounce back with five straight fights. That streak eventually earned him a matchup with Chad Mendes, but the loss to the elite contender stalled his climb toward the top of the division.

His career became defined by those moments when he seemed to have already been counted out. Perhaps none was more memorable than his 2017 fight with Mirsad Bektic.

Elkins was battered early and appeared to be heading towards a brutal defeat. But surprisingly, he turned the fight around in the third round, landing a spectacular head kick that stopped Bektic and produced one of the most memorable comebacks in UFC history.

That was Elkins in a nutshell, a warrior with the heart of a lion - who had no quit in him.  Over the course of his UFC run, he shared the Octagon with some of the sport's biggest names, including Oliveira, Mendes, and Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski. 

While his losses may have overshadowed his MMA credentials, he also picked up notable victories over fighters such as Michael Johnson and Dennis Bermudez.

Darren Elkins Leaves UFC with Impressive Resume

All in all, by the time he walked away, Elkins had amassed a 29-13 professional record and 19 UFC victories. He competed 31 times inside the Octagon, earned one Fight of the Night bonus and three Performance of the Night bonuses, and established himself as one of the most experienced fighters in UFC featherweight history.