UFC Iron Man Retires After 35-Second KO Loss (Watch)

Aug 10, 2026 09:42 AM - 1 hour ago 1

Darren "The Damage" Elkins called it a profession connected Saturday. Elkins was defeated via first-round TKO by Yadier del Valle astatine UFC Vegas 120. The conflict lasted conscionable 35 seconds. Elkins walks distant pinch a grounds of 29-13, which is much than respectable, but his robust man qualities are what makes him guidelines retired much than anything.

Darren Elkins Key Facts

Result: Yadier del Valle def. Darren Elkins, KO/TKO, Round 1, 0:35
Event: UFC Vegas 120 — UFC Fight Night: Gamrot vs. Salkilld, Meta APEX, Las Vegas
Date: Saturday, August 8, 2026
Final record: 29-13 overall, 19-12 successful the UFC
UFC tenure: 16 years, debut March 2010 vs. Duane Ludwig
Octagon appearances: 31
Age: 42
Nickname: "The Damage"
Awards: One Fight of the Night, 3 Performance of the Night

Del Valle dropped Elkins pinch a near hook and vanished him connected the canvas astatine 0:35. Elkins had announced the status earlier conflict week, calling it his past dance, and laid his gloves successful the halfway of the octagon afterward.

During his UFC career, Elkins fought 31 times complete a 16-year span. He holds the grounds for the second-most fights and second-most wins successful UFC featherweight history. Elkins landed 2,621 full strikes, ranking 7th successful UFC history. He is known arsenic "The Damage" because of his expertise to sorb strikes and less-than-advantageous positions without quitting aliases being put distant easily. On respective occasions, Elkins shook disconnected terrible cuts and knockdowns to win. His 2017 rally against Mirsad Bektić is 1 of the apical comebacks successful UFC history, and it breathed caller life into his profession while subsequently tanking Bektić's UFC run.

For years, Elkins remained a pipefitter alongside his MMA training.

Elkins, 42, made it clear this would beryllium his last fight, calling it his "last dance," arsenic injuries and the rigors of training were getting to him. Beyond those evident impediments, Elkins was coming disconnected a nasty stoppage nonaccomplishment successful his erstwhile conflict against Julian Erosa astatine UFC 314 successful April 2025. That conflict ended successful the first information too.

Elkins told the post-fight property conference, "Obviously, it's not the ending I wanted, but that's life." He leaves connected back-to-back stoppage losses, his past triumph a determination complete Daniel Pineda successful October 2024.

Darren Elkins' UFC featherweight records

Per UFC’s charismatic jock page

Second-most fights successful UFC featherweight history — 29
Second-most wins successful UFC featherweight history, down only Max Holloway
Most determination wins successful divisional history
Most power time successful divisional history
Most submission attempts successful divisional history
31 full UFC appearances crossed 16 years, debuting astatine lightweight successful 2010