UFC Vegas 120 will mark the end of the road for Darren Elkins.
‘The Damage’ is one of the longest-tenured fighters currently competing in the UFC, having made his debut all the way back in 2010.
Elkins has made 30 walks to the Octagon since then, and not many have come without blood being spilled and fans in attendance being brought to their feet.
The 42-year-old plans for that to be the case when he enters the cage one last time in August.
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Darren Elkins books retirement fight against Yadier del Valle at UFC Vegas 120
Elkins arrived in the UFC 16 years ago as a lightweight, a division he fought in twice before making a permanent move to featherweight. He has fought big names at both weights, including a pair of legendary former champions.
Charles Oliveira snapped Elkins’ arm just 41 seconds into the Brazilian’s debut. Eight years later, ‘The Damage’ was among the victims on Alexander Volkanovski’s rise to featherweight GOAT status.
Elkins has faced and beaten the likes of Diego Brandao, Duane Ludwig, Michael Johnson, and Dennis Bermudez in the UFC. He will look to add one final name to his record’s win column in two weeks’ time.
It was recently announced that Elkins will return against featherweight prospect Yadier del Valle on the UFC Vegas 120 undercard at the Meta Apex. The event will be headlined by Mateusz Gamrot’s lightweight clash with Quillan Salkilld.
In a post on social media, the 42-year-old fan favorite confirmed the bout will be his farewell.
“My last dance!! What a journey it’s been,” Elkins wrote on Facebook.
Cuba’s Del Valle boasts a 10-1 record, having had his undefeated status taken by Jordan Leavitt last time out.
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Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Fans were quick to react to Elkins’ retirement announcement in the comments, praising his career and predicting a fitting end to it on August 8.
“We know this epic career will end with an epic fight!”
“One last banger!”
“UFC won’t be the same again.”
“Capping off a dream career, we know you won’t leave anything in the tank!”
“What a pleasure it’s been to watch your career.”
“Congratulations on an amazing career Darren! I hope to see you ride off into the…
2026-07-24 14:00:00
