Tag: Darren Elkins

UFC 314 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Michael Chandler, Paddy Pimblett combine for $12,000

Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett combined for a $12,000 payout under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program at UFC 314.

MIAMI – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 314 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $300,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 314 took place at Kaseya Center. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC 314 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jean Silva[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Nikita Krylov[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Sean Woodson[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Julian Erosa[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Michal Oleksiejczuk[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Sedriques Dumas[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Su Mudaerji[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Mitch Raposo[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Marco Tulio[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Tresean Gore[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Nora Cornolle[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Hailey Cowan[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2025 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $2,579,500
2024 total: $8,280,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $33,597,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

UFC 314 video: Julian Erosa severely damages Darren Elkins in one-round beatdown

Many viewers of UFC 314 were critical of Mike Beltran’s stoppage in Julian Erosa vs. Darren Elkins.

“The Damage” took some serious damage Saturday in Miami.

On the UFC 314 prelims, [autotag]Julian Erosa[/autotag] defeated [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag] by TKO with 45 seconds left in the first round in an elongated beatdown sequence at Kaseya Center.

While Elkins (29-12 MMA, 19-11 UFC) landed a few sneaky and effective lead jabs, the fight was nearly all Erosa (31-11 MMA, 9-7 UFC), who dismantled his veteran opponent with a barrage of punches.

Elkins appeared wobbled throughout the fight. Every time he appeared to regain his full equilibrium, another Erosa blow would throw it off. Elkins shot mercifully for a low single-leg but to not avail.

Eventually, Erosa put Elkins out of his misery with a barrage of blows, though it took referee Mike Beltran a little while to jump in.

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Erosa moves to 9-6 in his third UFC stint. He went 1-1 and 0-3 in his first two stints respectively. Saturday’s victory extended his winning streak to three. Elkins, 40, has a two-fight winning streak snapped.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 314 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

Julian Erosa def. Darren Elkins at UFC 314: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Julian Erosa’s first-round TKO win over Darren Elkins at UFC 314.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Julian Erosa[/autotag]’s first-round TKO win over [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag] at UFC 314 at Kaseya Center in Miami. (Photos by Sam Navarro, USA Today Sports; MMA Junkie; UFC)

UFC veteran Darren Elkins in awe of his MMA longevity: ‘I never thought I’d be 40 and still doing this’

UFC featherweight veteran Darren Elkins discusses his longevity in MMA and where he’s at today in his career.

LAS VEGAS – At 40, [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag] is still racking up wins in the premiere MMA promotion on the planet. Elkins has not only impressed fans with his longevity, but he’s also impressed himself.

“When I was the young me, the young, beginning UFC Darren, I’d always make fun of the old guys,” Elkins said at a post-fight news conference. “‘Oh this old guy still messing with them,’ and calling them old guys. I never thought I’d be 40 and still doing this, but man, am I glad I am.”

Elkins (29-11 MMA, 19-10 UFC) completed his 29th UFC performance this past Saturday at UFC Fight Night 245. He defeated veteran Daniel Pineda (28-17 MMA, 5-8 UFC) in a hard-fought unanimous decision win that won him a Fight of the Night bonus.

This was also his first fight in 2024. With almost two decades of professional fighting, the once very active UFC featherweight is content with this current pace at this stage in his career.

“I don’t like to go any more than two (fights),” Elkins said. “I had one last year and one this year. Last year I got hurt, this year I got hurt, I mean, which is fine. Both times I came back when ,my body was recovered, so one of two fights (a year). I shoot for two, but if I don’t get two, one is OK, too in my life. Now, I don’t have to be the guy that’s fighting every weekend anymore.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 245.

UFC Fight Night 245 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Darren Elkins’ $21,000 leads card

The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program has now paid out more than $29 million to athletes since its deal began with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 245 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $155,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC Fight Night 245 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 245 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Kyler Phillips[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Charles Johnson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Su Mudaerji[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Cameron Smotherman[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jake Hadley[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Daniel Pineda[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Asu Almabayev[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Jean Matsumoto[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Brad Katona[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Joselyne Edwards[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Tamires Vidal[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Elise Reed[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jessica Penne[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Melissa Martinez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Alice Ardelean[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Austen Lane[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Robelis Despaigne[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2451 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,644,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $29,381,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 245.

UFC Fight Night 245 bonuses: 9 decisions + 11 fights = Only 3 $50,000 checks

The UFC handed out three bonuses after Saturday’s card – one less than is customary.

The UFC handed out three bonuses after Saturday’s card – one less than is customary.

After UFC Fight Night 245, three fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances in Las Vegas. Check out the winners below.

Performance of the Night: Anthony Hernandez

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 19: (R-L) Anthony Hernandez punches Michel Pereira of Brazil in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on October 19, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Anthony Hernandez def. Michel Pereira via TKO (strikes) – Round 5, 2:22

[autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) absolutely destroyed Michel Pereira (31-12 MMA, 9-3 UFC) and eventually finished him with a fifth-round TKO. But the fight really could’ve been stopped well before that. Hernandez landed 10 takedowns for more than three full rounds of control time. He set a new record for takedown attempts and called for fights at the next level at middleweight.

Fight of the Night: Darren Elkins def. Daniel Pineda

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 19: (L-R) Daniel Pineda knees Darren Elkins in a featherweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on October 19, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Darren Elkins def. Daniel Pineda via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

[autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag] (29-11 MMA, 19-10 UFC) and [autotag]Daniel Pineda[/autotag] (28-17 MMA, 5-8 UFC) put on a classic Elkins fight, with blood all over the canvas by the time things were done. This time, most of it was Elkins’ opponent and not his own, though. Elkins and Pineda had a grinder of a scrap, and after 15 back-and-forth minutes, Elkins had his third win in four fights – and Pineda hung up his gloves.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 245.

Darren Elkins vs. Daniel Pineda prediction, pick, start time for UFC Fight Night 245

Will hardened veteran Darren Elkins be able to grind out a win over Daniel Pineda in the UFC Fight Night 245 main card opener?

[autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag] and [autotag]Daniel Pineda[/autotag] meet Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 245 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. 

Last event: 3-3
UFC main cards, 2024: 87-77-3

Darren Elkins vs. Daniel Pineda UFC Fight Night 245 preview

Elkins (28-11 MMA, 18-10 UFC) has traded wins and losses over his last four fights, and enters his first fight in a year after a third-round submission win over TJ Brown.  The 40-year-old grizzled veteran last put together back-to-back wins when he finished Eduardo Garagorri in November 2020 and Darrick Minner in July 2021. … Pineda (28-16 MMA, 5-7 UFC) has dropped back-to-back fights against Nathaniel Wood and Alex Caceres. The 39-year-old’s last victory was a second-round submission of Tucker Lutz last March.

Darren Elkins vs. Daniel Pineda UFC Fight Night 245 expert pick, prediction

Kicking off the main card is a proper featherweight action between Elkins and Pineda that would make Joe Silva proud.

Elkins, who reminds me of the Matt Damon doll in “Team America,” is a fan favorite to all for the blood and guts wars he’s graced us with.

And though he’s not as popular as a name, Pineda deserves similar distinctions due to his fan-friendly style of prioritizing finishes over winning rounds.

Both men are toward the tail end of their careers given their age, yet each fights with the fervor of a 20-year-old trying to prove their manhood.

But that aside, the dynamic of this fight is fairly clear: either Pineda will finish his foe early, or Elkins will come on strong to drag things out late.

Despite tending to side with the latter part of that equation, I find myself liking the Pineda side in this spot.

Not only is Pineda’s striking too potent to overlook opposite an aging Elkins, but “The Pit” is quietly one of the most dangerous submission grapplers in that division – so don’t be surprised to see a submission win this Saturday.

The pick is Pineda to score a club-and-sub win via guillotine in Round 2.

Darren Elkins vs. Daniel Pineda UFC Fight Night 245 odds

Although the oddsmakers opened the slightly younger fighter as a slight favorite, public money pushed this contest to pick’em odds, listing Pineda -106 and Elkins -114 via FanDuel.

Darren Elkins vs. Daniel Pineda UFC Fight Night 245 start time, how to watch

As the main card opener, Elkins and Pineda are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 7:05 p.m. ET (4:05 p.m. PT). The fight will stream on ESPN+.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 245.

There Will Be Blood: Darren Elkins’ bloodiest, goriest UFC photos

UFC featherweight Darren Elkins hay have spilled more blood than any fighter in company history.

Check out these photos highlighting UFC featherweight [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag]’ career through the years – a UFC run that has featured arguably more spilled blood than any fighter in company history.

Darren Elkins returns, books 29th UFC fight vs. Daniel Pineda on Oct. 19

Darren Elkins still has fight left in him.

[autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag] still has fight left in him.

Elkins (28-11 MMA, 18-10 UFC), 40, returns to face fellow featherweight veteran [autotag]Daniel Pineda[/autotag] (28-16 MMA, 5-7 UFC) at UFC Fight Night on Oct. 19, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Elkins confirmed the news on his social media after an initial report from Pineda’s management Iridium Sports Agency.

Winner of four of his past six, Elkins hasn’t competed since a third-round submission of T.J. Brown in October 2023. Two months later he suffered a break in his right tibia and fibula in a freak accident during jiu-jitsu class, which required surgery.

After submitting Tucker Lutz to earn a Performance of the Night bonus in March 2023, Pineda has lost two straight to Alex Caceres, then Nathaniel Wood at UFC 304 in July.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for Oct. 19 includes:

  • Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira
  • Rob Font vs. Kyler Phillips
  • Asu Almabayev vs. Matheus Nicolau
  • Robelis Despaigne vs. Austen Lane
  • Charles Johnson vs. Su Mudaerji
  • Brad Katona vs. Jean Matsumoto
  • Jessica Penne vs. Elise Reed
  • Jake Hadley vs. Brady Hiestand
  • Darren Elkins vs. Daniel Pineda

UFC featherweight Darren Elkins undergoes surgery after snapping right leg in freak accident

Darren Elkins went under the knife after suffering a lot of damage to his right leg.

[autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag] went under the knife after suffering a lot of damage to his right leg.

Elkins (28-11 MMA, 18-10 UFC) revealed Thursday night that a freak accident during jiu-jitsu class caused a break in his right tibia and fibula. “The Damage” posted an Instagram story from his hospital bed after undergoing surgery.

Elkins, 39, has won four of his past six. The longtime UFC fighter is coming off a third-round submission of T.J. Brown at UFC Fight Night 230 this past October. Prior to fighting Brown, Team Alpha Male’s Elkins said he had no intentions of retiring anytime soon.