Elkins Rules Out BKFC After UFC Vegas 120 Retirement

Darren Elkins fights for the final time Saturday night at UFC Vegas 120, facing Yadier del Valle in a retirement bout he announced when the UFC revealed the matchup.

The 42-year-old featherweight told MMA Fighting on Wednesday that accumulating injuries drove the decision. "I'm older in age now, but mostly I'm starting to get hurt a little bit more often," Elkins said. "Getting to train all the time is taking more of a toll on my body than used to, so it's time." He wanted to lay his gloves in the octagon rather than announce retirement on social media like fighters who get cut or walk away quietly.

Elkins On BKFC And Post-UFC Plans

Elkins said the choice was not difficult after 30 UFC appearances since 2010 and a promotional record of 19-11. He nearly retired after losing to Hacran Dias in Brazil in 2014 but switched camps and strung together six straight wins over Dennis Bermudez, Michael Johnson, and others before Alexander Volkanovski stopped the streak. Now he plans to stay active in wrestling for RAF but promised his wife he would avoid bare-knuckle boxing.

"I'd probably die," Elkins said with a laugh when asked about BKFC. "My MMA fights are bloody. Could you imagine me in that? No. I promised my wife I wouldn't even look at that place."

Del Valle enters 10-1 and was ten years old when Elkins made his pro debut. The Cuban dropped a decision to Jordan Leavitt in his last outing after finishing Connor Matthews and Isaac Dulgarian by first-round rear-naked choke in his first two UFC bouts. Elkins expected the UFC to match him with a younger, dangerous opponent. "I expected when I said I was going be a retirement fight that I was going to probably be a younger guy," he said. "I'm one of the older guys in the division, so it's going to be a younger guy and probably a pretty tough guy because they know when I'm in the octagon, it's going to be a crazy fight."

Original reporting:

• mmafighting.com — Darren Elkins explains decision to retire after UFC Vegas 120, rules out going to BKFC: ‘I’d probably die’ | MMA Fighting