Darren Elkins still has fight left in him.
Elkins (28-11 MMA, 18-10 UFC), 40, returns to face fellow featherweight veteran Daniel Pineda (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