Darren Elkins was hoping to end his UFC career on a good note earlier tonight (Sat., Aug. 8, 2026) at UFC Vegas 120 LIVE on Paramount+ from inside the revamped Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, but his retirement sendoff ended in disaster at the hands of a 35-second knockout by featherweight prospect Yadier del Valle.
Elkins, 42, was coming off a long layoff after not competing since a TKO loss to Julian Erosa back in April 2025. The long-time veteran was looking to push his UFC record to 20-11 with
a win on Saturday night and walk off into the sunset, but he was a very large betting underdog to do so. That’s because of his age and ability to get hit, as well as del Valle’s promise as a future contender.
Sadly for Elkins, his final trip to the Octagon was his fastest UFC loss ever. Del Valle needed just 35 seconds to hurt Elkins in the opening exchange and then track him down for a brutal left hand. Elkins went stiff and crashed onto canvas. The referee was all over it and quickly rushed in to stop “Damage” from taking any unnecessary punishment.
Check out the video highlights below!
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