Biography
Darren Elkins (2026)
Table of Contents
Who is Darren Elkins?
Darren Elkins is a former American professional mixed martial artist who competed in the UFC featherweight division under the nickname “The Damage.” He made his UFC debut in 2010 and competed in his final UFC fight on August 8, 2026. Elkins finished his UFC career with a 29-13 record and retired after a first-round TKO loss to Yadier del Valle.
Although, there is always a thin line between confidence and overconfidence. Confidence can give you self belief but overconfidence can give you downfall. One can gain confidence from the experience. The more a person does a certain work, the more will they be experienced and the more they will be confident.
| Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Darren Keith Elkins |
| Date of Birth | May 16, 1984 |
| Birth Place | Portage, Indiana, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Age | 42 years |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in |
| Occupation | Mixed Martial Artist |
| Division(s) | Lightweight (2007–2010) Featherweight (2011–present) |
| Other Name | The Damage |
| Spouse(s) | Connie Elkins |
| Children(s) | Emma Elkins (Daughter) DJ Elkins (Son) |
| Net worth | US $1.5 million |
Likewise, Darren Elkins is one of the popular MMA players who has establishes himself as a confident player. The way he used to enter the ring and the way he carries in public places has changed. We can see the hidden confidence in his interview and matches. After, spending quality time in MMA sports, he has been familiar with it. He has started developing self-belief to present himself adorably. It is the maturity that he has gained with time. This has given him a lot of patience to handle any kind of situation. Darren is calm to handle any false comment bout his tattoo, a fantastic win, or the bruise and wounds on his face.
How was the Darren Elkins childhood?
Darren Elkins was born on May 16, 1984, in Portage, Indiana, United States. He developed an interest in wrestling and martial arts while growing up and later used his wrestling background as the foundation for his MMA career.
What is the education of Darren Elkins?
Darren Elkins went to “Portage High School.” He used to represent the school in the wrestling tournaments. Darren succeeded to become seventh in the Indiana state during his freshman year. He was able to participate in the sophomore year. Darren became the second runner up in the junior year.
He won the “State Championship” in his senior year in high school. Darren had won several “Freestyle Wrestling Championships” at his young age. Then, he attended the “University of Wisconsin Parkside.” But he left the university without completing his course after two years.
How did Darren Elkins started his career?
Darren Elkins started his “UFC” career by getting the preliminary card of “UFC on Versus 1.” His first match was against Duane Ludwig. He won the match through “Technical Knockout” (TKO) in the first round. Darren’s attack resulted in an ankle injury of Duane. His next match was against “Charles Oliveira”. It was also the preliminary card of ” UFC on Versus 2.” Darren lost the match through submission.
Likewise, Darren Elkins played his debut match in the “Featherweight” at “UFC 131” on 11th June 2011. He faced “Michihiro Omigawa” in the match and won through a unanimous decision. Darren won another match at “UFC 136” against “Zhan Tiequan” on 8th October 2011. He won the match against “Diego Brandao” at “UFC 146” on 26th May 2012. It was his top game skills and unanimous decision that he won the match.
Moreover, Darren Elkins fought against Steven Siler at “UFC 154” on 17th November 2012. He dominated Steven for three rounds. At last, he won the match by unanimous decision. Darren defeated Antonio Carvalho at “UFC 158” on 16th March 2013. He then fought “Chad Mendes” at “UFC on Fox 7” on 20th April 2013. Darren lost the match in the first round by TKO. His other match was against “Hatsu Hioki” at “UFC Fight Night 27” on 28th August 2013. He won the match through a unanimous decision.
Darren Elkins fought Jeremy Stephens at “UFC on Fox 10” on 25th January 2014. He lost the match through a unanimous decision. Darren won another match at “UFC 179” against Lucas Martins through the split decision on 25th October 2014. He won another match against Robert Whiteford at “UFC Fight Night 76” on 25th October 2015.
Moreover, Darren Elkins continued his winning streak. He won the match against “Chas Skelly” at “UFC 196” on 5th March 2016. His another match against Godofredo Pepey on 23rd July 2016 was also a unanimous win. Darren won the match against Michael Johnson at “UFC Night: Stephen vs. Choi” on 14th January 2018.
After his 2020 fight with Nate Landwehr, Elkins continued competing in the UFC for several more years. He defeated Eduardo Garagorri in 2020 and later recorded victories over Cub Swanson, Daniel Pineda and others. In April 2025, he lost to Julian Erosa by first-round TKO. Elkins returned for his final UFC bout against Yadier del Valle on August 8, 2026, losing by TKO at 35 seconds of the first round. He subsequently retired from MMA.
Darren Elkins finished his professional UFC career with a 29-13-0 record. His UFC record included nine knockout victories, six submission victories and nine first-round finishes.
Who is the wife of Darren Elkins?
Darren Elkins is married to his longtime partner, Connie Elkins. The couple has two children. UFC previously reported that Connie had been with Darren since high school and supported him throughout his wrestling and MMA career.
Is Darren Elkins on Social Media?
Darren Elkins was quite active on social media platforms throughout his fighting career. He goes by “@darrenelkinsmma” on Instagram with over 60,000 followers, and “Darren Elkins” on Twitter/X with a follower count that should be reverified directly. He also has an official Facebook page with over 6,200 likes and followers. Elkins retired from the UFC in August 2026 following his final fight at UFC Vegas 120, closing out a nearly two-decade career with a record of 29 wins and 13 losses.
How much is Darren Elkins net worth?
There are no exact figures for Darren Elkins’ net worth. He was part of the MMA fraternity for 19 years, from 2007 until his retirement in August 2026. According to evaluations of his winning matches and fight purses, he has an estimated net worth of more than $1.5 million.
Nutshell Bio
Darren Keith Elkins is an American former professional mixed martial artist. He was born on May 16, 1984, in Portage, Indiana, and is 42 years old as of 2026. He competed primarily in the UFC featherweight division, stood 5 feet 10 inches tall and finished his UFC career with a 29-13 record.
