Darren “The Damage” Elkins absorbed significant punishment during their Saturday fight in Miami.
In a preliminary bout at UFC 314, Julian Erosa secured a TKO victory over Darren Elkins with just 45 seconds remaining in the first round. The fight, held at the Kaseya Center, saw Erosa unleash a prolonged and decisive attack.
Despite Elkins (29-12 MMA, 19-11 UFC) landing some accurate jabs early on, the fight was largely controlled by Erosa (31-11 MMA, 9-7 UFC). Erosa systematically broke down his experienced opponent with a relentless series of punches.
Elkins appeared unsteady throughout the round, struggling to maintain his balance after each significant blow from Erosa. In an attempt to change the fight`s momentum, Elkins desperately shot for a single-leg takedown, but was unsuccessful.
Ultimately, Erosa ended the fight with a final flurry of strikes, putting Elkins away. However, referee Mike Beltran hesitated slightly before stepping in to stop the contest.
This win marks Erosa`s 9th victory in the UFC, against 6 losses, across his third stint with the promotion. He previously had records of 1-1 and 0-3 in his first two runs, respectively. This Saturday`s victory extends his current winning streak to three fights. For Elkins, aged 40, this loss ends his two-fight win streak.
The UFC 314 preliminary results included:
- Julian Erosa defeated Darren Elkins by TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 4:15
- Michal Oleksiejczuk defeated Sedriques Dumas by TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 2:49
- Su Mudaerji defeated Mitch Raposo by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Marco Tulio defeated Tresean Gore by TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 3:16
- Nora Cornolle defeated Hailey Cowan by submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 1:52
