Ultimate Fighting Championship fan-favorite “The Damage” Darren Elkins put his nickname to the test in his last fight.
In early December, Elkins (27-11) faced off against Jonathan Pearce (14-4) at UFC on ESPN 42. Elkins made it to the final horn to ultimately lose a unanimous decision, but not before suffering a myriad of injuries and absorbing heavy damage from bell to bell. While the lacerations and ample plasma deposits across the Octagon floor looked daunting, the major issues for Elkins occurred internally. According to Elkins on social media on Thursday, he tore his meniscus and MCL when landing a takedown in Round 1, and also fractured his fibula sometime during the melee.
Accompanying a photograph of him sitting in a wheelchair on a pier, Elkins wrote: “Well I tore my meniscus, tore my MCL when I got the first takedown & fractured my fibula in the fight…but I still had a great vacation in the Turks and Caicos with my family.”
Partway through Round 3 of the Elkins-Pearce match, the doctors came in to check on Elkins’ condition. The blood flow was significant, but Elkins informed the physician repeatedly that he could continue. By then, much of the damage had been done to his leg or legs, but the 38-year-old veteran toughed it out to go the full 15 minutes.
Many in the MMA community wished him well, including training partners Clay Guida, Josh Emmett and Chris Holdsworth. Other noteworthy competitors like Sergio Pettis and Derek Brunson wished him well and praised him for his toughness and “warrior spirit.” Dating back the last several years, Elkins has averaged just under two fights per year. That rate may drop depending on the length of the Team Alpha Male fighter’s recovery, which has not yet been disclosed. Once on a four-fight skid, Elkins has since turned things around to prevail in three of his last five.
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