Darren Elkins reveals assortment of leg injuries suffered at UFC on ESPN 42

Darren Elkins suffered quite a bit of damage in his loss to Jonathan Pearce.

[autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag] suffered quite a bit of damage in his loss to Jonathan Pearce.

Elkins (28-11 MMA, 17-10 UFC) lost a unanimous decision to Pearce two weeks ago at UFC on ESPN 42 in Orlando, Fla., where he was bloodied and apparently badly injured during the fight.

Elkins said he suffered multiple leg injuries, but despite being compromised, the notoriously tough 38-year-old managed to go the distance against Pearce. Doctors tried to intervene when Elkins was a bloody mess in Round 3, but he showed no hesitation in wanting to continue.

He took to Instagram on Thursday to open up about his injuries.

“Well I tore my meniscus, tore my MCL when I got the first takedown & fractured my fibula in the fight… but I still had a great vacation in the Turks and Caicos with my family.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CmNRi1fv-QY/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Elkins competed in his 25th UFC featherweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history. The Team Alpha Male fighter has won three of his past five, with his victories coming over Luiz Eduardo Garagorri, Darrick Minner and Tristan Connelly.

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UFC on ESPN 42 post-event facts: Rafael dos Anjos first to reach 8-hour fight time milestone

Rafael dos Anjos became the first fighter in history to log eight hours of octagon fight time in his win at UFC on ESPN 42.

The UFC returned to Orlando, Fla., for the first time in nearly four years Saturday with UFC on ESPN 42, which took place at Amway Center and saw nine out of 14 fights end in a stoppage.

Stephen Thompson (17-6-1 MMA, 12-6-1 UFC) earned the most memorable result of all in the main event. The longtime welterweight contender went to war with Kevin Holland (23-9 MMA, 9-6 UFC). He emerged on top by fourth-round TKO due to corner stoppage and netted another Fight of the Night award in the process.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC on ESPN 42.

UFC on ESPN 42 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: A record for non-PPV card

UFC on ESPN 42 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

ORLANDO – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 42 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $297,500.

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 on ESPN 42 took place at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 42 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Bryan Barberena[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Matt Schnell[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Sergei Pavlovich[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jack Hermansson[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Kyle Daukaus[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Phil Rowe[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Niko Price[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Emily Ducote[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Michael Johnson[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Marc Diakiese[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Natan Levy[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Genaro Valdez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Francis Marshall[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Marcelo Rojo[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Yazmin Jauregui[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Istela Nunes[/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 $42,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-42 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2022 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $7,932,000
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $14,109,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 42.

UFC on ESPN 42 results: Jonathan Pearce damages Darren Elkins for bloody decision

Jonathan Pearce opened a horrific gash on Darren Elkins en route to a lopsided win at UFC on ESPN 42.

[autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag] opened a horrific gash on [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag] en route to a lopsided win at UFC on ESPN 42.

Pearce (14-4 MMA, 5-1 UFC) earned his fifth consecutive octagon win on Saturday when he methodically worked over Elkins (28-11 MMA, 17-10 UFC) for all three rounds to emerge with a unanimous decision by scores of 30-27, 30-27 and 30-26.

The featherweight bout was part of the UFC on ESPN 42 preliminary card at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla.

The first round saw Pearce pick Elkins apart on the feet and come away with the clear momentum. He did more of the same in the second frame, mixing in some grappling against the ridiculously tough Elkins.

In the final round, Pearce landed an elbow that badly sliced Elkins open. The fight was paused so the doctor would take a close look, but allowed the action to continue. That only allowed Pearce more time to pour it on, though, as he closed the fight strong to get his hand raised.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 42 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 42.

Jonathan Pearce def. Darren Elkins at UFC on ESPN 42: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Jonathan Pearce’s unanimous decision win over Darren Elkins at UFC on ESPN 42.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 42 at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. (Photos by Nathan Ray Seebeck, USA TODAY Sports)

UFC on ESPN 42 pre-event facts: Darren Elkins reaches historic milestone

The best facts and figures for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 42, where several familiar veterans have a shot at history.

The UFC returns to Florida on Saturday for UFC on ESPN 42, which takes place at Amway Center in Orlando with a card that airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

A welterweight headliner will close out the card as longtime contender [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] (16-6-1 MMA, 11-6-1 UFC) will search for his first win in two years when he takes on [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] (23-8 MMA, 9-5 UFC).

For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts for UFC on ESPN 42.

UFC’s Jonathan Pearce aims to make name for himself vs. Darren Elkins: ‘I belong in the top of the division’

Jonathan Pearce hopes a win over Darren Elkins skyrockets his UFC career. 

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – [autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag] hopes a win over [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag] is what skyrockets his UFC career.

Since returning to 145 pounds, Pearce (11-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has racked up four straight wins, including a TKO finish of Makwan Amirkhani in July.

In Elkins (27-10 MMA, 17-9 UFC), Pearce faces a staple of the featherweight division, and he’s looking to take him out when they square off at UFC on ESPN 42 on Dec. 3 in Orlando, Fla.

“I’m happy with the matchup,” Pearce told MMA Junkie. “After I win this one, that’ll be five straight, and I’m looking to take on as many names as I can and build my resume.”

He continued, “I believe I belong in the top of the division, top 15, top 10. So whoever’s injured, you better get ready, because ‘JSP’ is coming.”

Pearce was able to overwhelm Amirkhani en route to a second-round finish at UFC Fight Night 208 in London. But Pearce knows when fighting Elkins, he’s facing an experienced fighter who has no quit in him.

“I feel honored to be able to fight a veteran of the sport and also make a name for myself and thankful that he took the fight,” Pearce said.

He continued, “Elkins has a little bit more heart than the last guy, so his cardio is gonna be a little bit better. He’ll stay in the fight a little bit longer, and my goal is not to make this a 15-minute fight, finish this fight.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie event hub for UFC on ESPN 42.

UFC on ESPN 35: Quick picks and prognostications

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the main card of UFC on ESPN 35.

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main card for UFC on ESPN 35.

UFC on ESPN 35 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN2/ESPN+.

Last event’s results: 3-1

Overall picks for UFC main cards in 2022: 38-14

Welcome to MMAJunkie’s Quick Picks and Prognostications, where I’ll be giving brief, fight-day breakdowns for UFC main cards.

With that in mind, I hope these write-ups don’t come off as curt or dismissive, as my goal here is to offer quick picks and analysis in a digestible format. All odds listed are provided by Tipico Sportsbook.

If you’d like more detailed analysis from me, then feel free to check out my weekly show, The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast.

So, without further ado…

Darren Elkins vs. Tristan Connelly added to UFC Fight Night on April 30

Gritty grapplers Darren Elkins and Tristan Connelly will battle in April.

Gritty grapplers [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag] and [autotag]Tristan Connelly[/autotag] will battle in April.

Elkins (26-10 MMA, 16-9 UFC) meets Connelly (14-7 MMA, 1-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night on April 30, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.

Two people with knowledge of the booking recently confirmed the matchup to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Global News was first to report the news, and Elkins subsequently announced it on social media.

Winner of two of his past three, Elkins is coming off a first-round TKO loss to Cub Swanson in December. Prior to that, the 37-year-old Team Alpha Male fighter scored back-to-back finishes of Eduardo Garagorri and Darrick Minner.

Canada’s Connelly has split his first two UFC appearances. After scoring an upset win over Michel Pereira in his promotional debut in September 2019, Connelly returned from a two-year layoff due to injury, losing to Pat Sabatini in his featherweight debut at UFC 261 this past April.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for April 30 includes:

  • Cortney Casey vs. Antonina Shevchenko
  • Gina Mazany vs. Shanna Young
  • Francisco Figueiredo vs. Daniel da Silva
  • Mike Breeden vs. Natan Levy
  • Gabe Green vs. Yohan Lainesse
  • Jessica Penne vs. Luana Pinheiro
  • Rafael Alves vs. Jared Gordon
  • Carlos Candelario vs. Tatsuro Taira
  • Tristan Connelly vs. Darren Elkins

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UFC Fight Night 199 predictions: Who’s picking Chris Daukaus to keep rolling over Derrick Lewis?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC Fight Night 199 card, featuring Derrick Lewis vs. Chris Daukaus.

Lewis
vs.
Daukaus
Muhammad
vs.
Thompson
Hill
vs.
Lemos
Assuncao
vs.
Simon
Ferreira
vs.
Gamrot
Elkins
vs.
Swanson
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2021: 204-120
lewis2021
Lewis
(60%)
thompson2021
Thompson
(77%)
lemos2021
Lemos
(65%)
simon2021
Simon
(61%)
gamrot2021
Gamrot
(68%)
swanson2021
Swanson
(62%)
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2021: 208-116
daukaus2021
Daukaus
thompson2021
Thompson
lemos2021
Lemos
simon2021
Simon
gamrot2021
Gamrot
swanson2021
Swanson
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2021: 206-118
lewis2021
Lewis
muhammad2021
Muhammad
lemos2021
Lemos
simon2021
Simon
ferreira2021
Ferreira
swanson2021
Swanson
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2021: 200-124
trophy copy 2014 Champion
lewis2021
Lewis
thompson2021
Thompson
lemos2021
Lemos
simon2021
Simon
gamrot2021
Gamrot
swanson2021
Swanson
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2021: 199-125
lewis2021
Lewis
thompson2021
Thompson
lemos2021
Lemos
simon2021
Simon
ferreira2021
Ferreira
elkins2021
Elkins
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2021: 198-126
lewis2021
Lewis
thompson2021
Thompson
lemos2021
Lemos
assuncao2021
Assuncao
gamrot2021
Gamrot
elkins2021
Elkins
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2021: 197-127
trophy copy 2020 Champion
daukaus2021
Daukaus
thompson2021
Thompson
lemos2021
Lemos
simon2021
Simon
gamrot2021
Gamrot
elkins2021
Elkins
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
2021: 126-82 (60.57)
lewis2021
Lewis
thompson2021
Thompson
lemos2021
Lemos
simon2021
Simon
ferreira2021
Ferreira
swanson2021
Swanson
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2021: 192-132
lewis2021
Lewis
muhammad2021
Muhammad

Hill
assuncao2021
Assuncao
ferreira2021
Ferreira
elkins2021
Elkins
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2021: 190-134
trophy copy 2018 Champion
lewis2021
Lewis
muhammad2021
Muhammad
lemos2021
Lemos
assuncao2021
Assuncao
gamrot2021
Gamrot
swanson2021
Swanson
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2021: 188-136
lewis2021
Lewis
muhammad2021
Muhammad
lemos2021
Lemos
assuncao2021
Assuncao
gamrot2021
Gamrot
elkins2021
Elkins
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2021: 186-138
trophy copy 2017 Champion
lewis2021
Lewis
muhammad2021
Muhammad
lemos2021
Lemos
assuncao2021
Assuncao
gamrot2021
Gamrot
elkins2021
Elkins
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2021: 186-138
lewis2021
Lewis
muhammad2021
Muhammad
lemos2021
Lemos
simon2021
Simon
ferreira2021
Ferreira
swanson2021
Swanson
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2021: 184-140
lewis2021
Lewis
thompson2021
Thompson
lemos2021
Lemos
assuncao2021
Assuncao
gamrot2021
Gamrot
elkins2021
Elkins

The final UFC event of the year takes place Saturday in Las Vegas with heavyweights at the top of the bill.

UFC Fight Night 199 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, former title challenger [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (25-8 MMA, 16-6 UFC) takes on [autotag]Chris Daukaus[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 4-0 UFC). Daukaus is a slight -140 favorite at Tipico. But our 13 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are taking slight underdog Lewis in a big way at 11-2 margin.

In the co-feature, two-time welterweight title challenger [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] (16-5-1 MMA, 11-5-1 UFC) meets [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC). Thompson is more than a 2-1 favorite, but he’s only got a 7-6 edge in the picks.

[autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag] (10-1-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is the biggest favorite on the main card at more than 3-1 in her women’s strawweight fight against [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] (13-10 MMA, 8-10 UFC). Only one of our pickers is taking Hill in an upset.

[autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag] (27-8 MMA, 11-5 UFC) meets [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag] (18-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in a key bantamweight bout. Simon is nearly a 3-1 favorite, but the picks are tight and he has just a 7-6 lead from our staff members.

[autotag]Mateusz Gamrot[/autotag] (19-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) is a 2-1 favorite at lightweight against [autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC). Gamrot has a slight edge in the picks at 8-5.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag] (26-9 MMA, 16-8 UFC) and [autotag]Cub Swanson[/autotag] (27-12 MMA, 12-8 UFC) throw down in a featherweight fight that seems like it should have happened years ago. Swanson nearly is a 2-1 favorite, but our pickers have Elkins with the smallest possible edge at 7-6.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Lewis (60 percent), Thompson (77 percent), Lemos (65 percent), Simon (61 percent), Gamrot (68 percent) and Swanson (62 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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