Darren Elkins Retires After 35-Second KO Loss to Yadier del Valle

PARIS, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 06: A detail view of Paul Craig’s gloves after announcing his retirement following his loss to Modestas Bukauskas in their light heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at The Accor Arena on September 06, 2025 in Paris, France. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

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Darren “The Damage” Elkins called it a career on Saturday. Elkins was defeated via first-round TKO by Yadier del Valle at UFC Vegas 120. The fight lasted just 35 seconds. Elkins walks away with a record of 29-13, which is more than respectable, but his iron man qualities are what makes him stand out more 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 in 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, three Performance of the Night

Del Valle dropped Elkins with a left hook and finished him on the canvas at 0:35. Elkins had announced the retirement before fight week, calling it his last dance, and laid his gloves in the center of the octagon afterward.

During his UFC career, Elkins fought 31 times over a 16-year span. He holds the record for the second-most fights and second-most wins in UFC featherweight history. Elkins landed 2,621 total strikes, ranking 7th in UFC history. He is known as “The Damage” because of his ability to absorb strikes and less-than-advantageous positions without quitting or being put away easily. On several occasions, Elkins shook off severe cuts and knockdowns to win. His 2017 rally against Mirsad Bektić is one of the top comebacks in UFC history, and it breathed new life into his career while subsequently tanking Bektić’s UFC run.

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

Elkins, 42, made it clear this would be his final fight, calling it his “last dance,” as injuries and the rigors of training were getting to him. Beyond those obvious impediments, Elkins was coming off a nasty stoppage loss in his previous fight against Julian Erosa at UFC 314 in April 2025. That fight ended in the first round too.

Elkins told the post-fight press conference, “Obviously, it’s not the ending I wanted, but that’s life.” He leaves on back-to-back stoppage losses, his last win a decision over Daniel Pineda in October 2024.