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#4. Darren Elkins is nearly always involved in wild fights
Few fighters have managed to survive in the UFC for more than a decade. Featherweight contender Darren Elkins has not only been with the promotion since 2010, but he also remains one of the most hard-nosed, tough veterans on the roster.
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‘The Damage’ essentially lives up to his nickname seemingly every time he steps into the octagon. Win, lose or draw, Elkins always seems to come away from a fight covered in blood. While his lack of natural athleticism has prevented him from really challenging for UFC gold, he’s still picked up excellent wins over the years over the likes of Mirsad Bektic, Michael Johnson and Diego Brandao.
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Elkins’ last fight saw him knocked out by fellow veteran Cub Swanson. Prior to that, he’d pulled off two straight wins, both via stoppage.
This weekend’s fight also looks favorable for him, as opponent Tristan Connelly has only fought once since 2019 – suffering a decision loss to prospect Pat Sabatini last April, and he’s been on the shelf ever since.
However, Connelly is a capable fighter, as his win over Michel Pereira showed. More to the point, he’s a hard-nosed brawler who is likely to get into the face of ‘The Damage’, who naturally won’t back down in turn.
That means we should get a trademark Elkins brawl from this fight, and win, lose or draw, ‘The Damage’ is highly likely to produce the goods inside the octagon once again, making this a fight to keep a close eye on.
#3. Andrei Arlovski is a genuine UFC legend and so it’s always worth watching him
It’s highly unlikely that UFC fans will be treated to too much wild action when Andrei Arlovski faces off with Jake Collier in a heavyweight bout this weekend, but the truth is that any chance to watch ‘The Pitbull’ in action is worth taking.
Okay, so it’s true that Arlovski hasn’t been producing wildly entertaining fights as of late. His striking style – which remains remarkably fleet-footed considering his age – is anathema to the kind of plodding opponents he’s been matched with recently, but the Belarusian simply doesn’t take too many risks these days in order to protect his chin.
However, it’s still worth noting that ‘The Pitbull’ is a genuine living legend of MMA and of the UFC, and for him to still be competing in the heavyweight division more than 15 years after he held the heavyweight title is truly remarkable.
The days of Arlovski contending for the title are long gone now, of course, but at the age of 43 he still appears to be in phenomenal shape. This weekend’s bout with Collier will mark the 38th time he’s stepped into the octagon and will be his 56th professional fight overall.
More to the point, if he can beat ‘The Prototype’, which he’s favored to do, he’ll equal the record for the most wins in UFC history – 23 – currently held by Donald Cerrone and Jim Miller. That fact alone makes his bout this weekend a must-see one.
