Competitive fires burn as brightly as ever within Darren Elkins.
The 37-year-old Team Alpha Male representative will seek to improve upon his 16-9 record in the Ultimate Fighting Championship when he tackles Tristan Connelly in a UFC on ESPN 35 featherweight feature this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Elkins has posted two wins across his past three outings. However, he finds himself on the rebound following a first-round technical knockout loss to Cub Swanson at UFC Fight Night 199 in December.
As Elkins pores over the remaining details associated with his forthcoming clash with Connelly at 145 pounds, here are five things you might not know about him:
1. He plays second fiddle in his hometown.
Elkins hails from Portage, Indiana, a city of some 40,000 people that sits roughly 40 miles southeast of Chicago. He shares a hometown with Gable Steveson, a two-time NCAA champion who struck gold in freestyle wrestling at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Once believed to be ticketed for a career in mixed martial arts, Steveson instead signed a developmental deal with World Wrestling Entertainment.
2. He starred in the singlet.
“The Damage” excelled as a wrestler at Portage High School, where he won a state title as a senior and compiled a 191-9 career record. Elkins later wrestled collegiately at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, a Division II school in Somers, Wisconsin.
3. Championship glory did not escape his grasp.
Elkins made his professional debut at the age of 22, proceeded to rattle off six consecutive victories and then laid claim to the Corral Combat Classic lightweight title when he defeated Pat Curran by unanimous decision at C3 “Domination” on Nov. 22, 2008. Curran, of course, went on to become a two-time Bellator MMA featherweight champion.
4. He has more than one gear.
Despite his well-earned reputation as a grinder, Elkins has seen 13 of his 36 career bouts—nine of his 26 wins and four of his 10 losses—end inside one round. That includes his encounters with Swanson, Chad Mendes, Antonio Carvalho, Charles Oliveira and Duane Ludwig in the UFC.
5. Reliability became one of his selling points.
As part of the UFC roster for more than 11 years, Elkins has made as many appearances (25) inside the Octagon as Matt Hughes, Anderson Silva and Max Holloway.
More must-reads: