LAS VEGAS – Darren Elkins still has plenty left in the tank at 39, and he showed it with a finish of TJ Brown at UFC Fight Night 230.
Elkins (28-11 MMA, 18-10 UFC) delivered another vintage performance Saturday at the UFC Apex, going tit-for-tat with Brown (17-11 MMA, 3-5 UFC) over the first two rounds of the featherweight bout before working his way into a rear-naked choke to force the tap at the 2:23 mark of Round 3.
Check out a replay of the finish below (via X):
Darren Elkins did damage to force the tap 👏 #UFCVegas81 pic.twitter.com/KO4VmrGiH3
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 14, 2023
With the win, Elkins closed the distance on Max Holloway for most wins in the history of the UFC’s 145-pound division. He now has 16, while Holloway has 20.
Although he’s long in the tooth as far as his time in the fight game, Elkins said he’s not going away yet and cautioned featherweight fighters to call him out at their own peril.
“They’ve been saying I’m done, but listen: This old dog still has some fight in him,” Elkins said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 230 results include:
- Darren Elkins def. TJ Brown via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 2:23
- Tainara Lisboa def. Ravena Oliveira via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Terrance McKinney def. Brendon Marotte via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 0:20
- Melissa Dixon def. Irina Alekseeva via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Chris Gutierrez def. Heili Alateng via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Emily Ducote def. Ashley Yoder via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 230.
