In the end, a matchup between two of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight division’s most
grizzled veterans delivered exactly the kind of action fans and
matchmakers hoped to see.
At UFC Fight Night 245 on Saturday at the Apex in Las Vegas,
40-year-old Darren
Elkins and 39-year-old Daniel
Pineda combined to produce a bloody, back-and-forth battle that
netted them “Fight of the Night” honors and a bonus of $50,000
each. The fight hinged on the clash of Elkins’ rugged and reliable
wrestling against Pineda’s venomous grappling game. Pineda fought
through punishment that had his face swollen and bleeding within
minutes, and the fight was tied at a round apiece going into the
final frame, but Elkins’ legendary durability and pace finally
proved to be too much, and “The Damage” won the third round on all
three judges’ scorecards. Pineda, who announced his retirement in
the Octagon after the decision was read, walks away with a career
finish rate of 100% in his 28 career wins and will pocket one final
bonus as he transitions into his next phase as head coach at
Houston mainstay gym 4oz Fight Club.
On a night that featured just two finishes in 11 fights, the lone
“Performance of the Night” bonus went to Anthony
Hernandez, who had a banner evening of work. In his first UFC
main event, he extended his win streak to six with a fifth-round
TKO of Michel
Pereira, showing himself to be a viable title contender at
middleweight and earning an extra $50,000. The fight was a wildly
competitive affair—at least while Pereira’s cardio lasted, which
was all of one round. As Pereira’s energy level flagged, Hernandez
turned up the jets, picking up at least one 10-8 round on the
exhausted Brazilian before pounding out “Demolidor” in the middle
of the final frame. The performance showed that “Fluffy,” despite
all the success he has achieved since joining the UFC out of
Dana White’s Contender Series and
Legacy Fighting Alliance six years ago, might be even tougher
to deal with in five-round fights—a scary proposition for the rest
of the division.
The UFC’s decision to award only three bonus checks on Saturday
rather than its customary four is easily explained, as the only
other fighter to notch a finish on Saturday, Joselyne
Edwards, missed weight by over three pounds, rendering her
ineligible for post-fight awards. Thus, “Pantera” will have to be
satisfied that her third-round face crank submission of Tamires
Vidal may have saved her roster spot in the UFC.