Featherweights Darren Elkins vs. Julian Erosa faced off earlier tonight (Sat. April 12, 2025) live on ESPN+ pay-per-view inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. In an uncomfortably violent fight, Erosa secured the first-round knockout win.
Elkins actually started the fight well, landing a takedown early on. He established in closed guard and dropped some big punches, swelling up Erosa’s eye. In the process, however, he ate a monstrous upkick that immediately changed the fight. From that point forward, Elkins seemed to be on autopilot, working with wobbly legs and stumbling around the cage.
Alas, “The Damage” is an ungodly tough man. Erosa patiently stalked him around the cage, picking his shots and lining up big connections. Elkins dove for the legs, but there was no base beneath him, meaning he couldn’t drive through his takedown attempts. Erosa continued to land shots, and Elkins never recovered.
The referee was forced to intervene.
Check out the highlight clip below:
On the heels of this win, Erosa has now won three in a row via stoppage. It’s a quality series of wins for “Juicy J,” who has fully rebounded from a 2023 skid. As for Elkins, the longtime Featherweight veteran’s two-fight win streak was snapped in brutal fashion. At 40 years of age, one has to assume Elkins is closer to the end of his career than the start.
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