Darren Elkins
The 41-year-old veteran returns to the octagon after a 16-month lay-off. In his last bout at UFC 314, ‘The Damage’ lost to Julian Erosa, ending a two-fight winning streak over Daniel Pineda and TJ Brown. Elkins' main strengths are his endurance, grinding style and indomitable character. During more than a decade in the UFC, he has repeatedly turned around seemingly hopeless fights, even after being knocked down. He is not the most technical fighter on the feet, but he applies constant pressure and scores through his work rate; his main weapons in wrestling are the single-leg takedown, heavy top control and transitions to rear-naked chokes. In the upcoming bout, Elkins will try to force Yadier into a dirty fight: clinch, drag his opponent into grappling exchanges and wear him down to find his chance after the halfway point.
Yadier del Valle
The 29-year-old Cuban comes into the fight with a 10-1 record. His only setback came against Jordan Leavitt, while before that he recorded two impressive first-round submission wins. Del Valle began in judo before switching to jiu-jitsu — the ground game is his greatest strength, with four of his 10 victories coming by submission. At 5 ft 9 in, he does not have a size advantage over his opponent, but he is noticeably younger, fresher and more dangerous when it comes to finishes. He strikes confidently on the feet, but is truly formidable when he takes the fight to the ground. In this bout, Del Valle will surely look to exploit his speed advantage, work on the counter and hunt for a finish, either in the exchanges or on the ground.
Darren Elkins vs Yadier del Valle Prediction
Elkins has always been known for his granite chin, but the years and the 16-month lay-off are taking their toll — his latest defeat to Erosa was his first stoppage loss in a long time. That is a worrying sign against a fresher Cuban finisher who can end fights both on the feet and on the ground. Del Valle is superior to Elkins in virtually every key area: he is faster, more varied on the feet and far more dangerous on the ground. Given the current gap in speed and all-round ability, the Cuban should simply overwhelm the veteran and take the win without much trouble.
