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Darren Elkins is seen during his featherweight fight against Jonathan Pearce during the UFC Fight Night event at Amway Center on December 03, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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Darren Elkins Still Loves The Game

With 28 UFC Fights And Counting, Darren Elkins Shows No Signs Of Slowing Down As He Enters The Octagon Again At UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs Pereira

When the bell rings, few fighters embody the spirit of a brawl quite like Darren Elkins. 

“The Damage” returns to the Octagon for the 29th time this Saturday and is approaching his 15-year anniversary in the company. At age 40, Elkins has given the MMA universe plenty of fun moments, but one thing is clear, he still has more to give. 

“The first thing of it is, is how much I love to do this,” he told UFC.com

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“I’ve been in this almost 15 years, but I still have so much love for this game. I wake up every day and I’m excited to train. I still get better and I’m not staying the same. If you have that desire to just keep on getting better in something you love to do, it’s a little easier to get better at it.”

Elkins was last seen in October of 2023, when he defeated TJ Brown by rear naked choke in the third round, earning his seventh finish in the UFC.

Darren Elkins Gets The 3rd Round Submission Win | UFC Fight Night: Yusuff vs Barboza
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Darren Elkins Gets The 3rd Round Submission Win | UFC Fight Night: Yusuff vs Barboza
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When he enters the Octagon this weekend, Elkins will break a tie with Max Holloway for the most fights in UFC featherweight history. Holloway is scheduled to fight on October 26, so while his lead might be short lived, his longevity is historic. 

With its young age, the sport of MMA develops quickly, with new knowledge and strategies being brought to athletes constantly. As he prepares for his upcoming fight, Elkins acknowledged that his approach has changed over time. 

“When we first started out in this game, going through camp was sparring every day and just going as hard as you can. Now, it’s being smarter about it and being smarter about the nutrition; we’ve got a lot more science behind fighting.”

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Ahead of his fight with Daniel Pineda, Elkins is confident in his preparation and believes the time off helped him gear up the right way. 

“I feel like it’s been a great camp,” he explained.

“Preparation has been really good, my weight has been really good, my diet, I gave myself plenty of time this camp. I feel like because I gave myself a little bit longer of a period, I can take it down a little bit. I don’t have to go hard from the beginning to the end. I can focus on recovery and it’s really helping me a lot.”

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Pineda’s last outing was at UFC 304, where he lost a unanimous decision to Nathaniel Wood. He brings a submission threat to the table, with 19 of his 28 professional wins coming by submission. 

It’s a matchup between highly respected veterans of the sport who typically put on exciting fights. 

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“He fights a lot like me. We’re both zombies, tough dudes; he’s a veteran, he’s been here almost as long as I have. They put this fight together because it should be a barnburner, and we’re both going to bring it.”

With a career built on toughness and determination, Elkins’ style made him a fan favorite. As he prepares for his next bout, he’s savoring each moment, but isn’t done doing what he loves just yet. 

“I’m not sure how much longer I want to do it for, but I’ve got more in me. The last few of them, I want to enjoy, I want to remember, I want to take in the moment. So, the advice for myself is to take in the moment, have fun out there, remember why you do it because you love to do it and it’s going to be entertaining.”

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UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs Pereira, live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 19, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!