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Darren Elkins said goodbye to pro MMA competition during UFC Vegas 120, and he is relieved.
The retirement fight this past Saturday inside the Meta Apex didn’t last long. Yadier del Valle struck early and his aggression paid off with a first-round TKO in 35 seconds. During the post-fight press conference, “The Damage” admitted that he feels he held onto his prizefighting run longer than it needed to go (h/t MMAMania.com).
“I’m feeling a little bit of relief,” Elkins said. “I’m looking forward to the next chapter of my life. This is a young man’s game. I knew that. I stuck around for probably a little bit longer than I should’ve, but I loved it so much. I was like, ‘We’ll do a little bit more.’ So do I regret it? No. Should I probably [have] retired? Probably a little bit sooner. Maybe after [the] Daniel Pineda one would’ve been kinda cool, but it I got greedy.”
Elkins also shared his gratitude for the opportunities he received under the UFC banner, and he took pride in never rocking the boat with the higherups.
“Those guys, I’ve always got along with everybody at the UFC. I’m a guy, they know I’m gonna show up. I’m gonna clock in. I’m gonna give everything I have. I’m gonna make weight. I’m gonna be on time. I’m not gonna complain. I never complained.”
Elkins suffered back-to-back first-round losses to end his 42-fight career. Throughout his run, Elkins faced some notable names, such as reigning UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski, Chad Mendes, and Jeremy Stephens.
Perhaps the most memorable moment in Elkins’ career occurred at UFC 209 back in 2017. “The Damage” scored a stunning come-from-behind victory over Mirsad Bektić, who was undefeated going into the bout. Elkins’ memorable effort earned him a “Performance of the Night” bonus.
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