11 hours ago
Darren Elkins is hanging up the gloves on Saturday, and Yadier del Valle is going to make sure he doesn't get a fairytale ending to his distinguished fighting career.
After almost 20 years of fighting professionally with over 40 fights recorded, Elkins (29-12 MMA, 19-11 UFC) is set to retire at 42 years of age. His final fight takes place on the main card of UFC Fight Night 284 (Paramount+), which takes place at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. With Elkins being a beloved and respected figure in MMA circles, it could be tough for some to get up and try to ruin his retirement, but not Del Valle (10-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC).
"The Cuban Problem" is staying sharp and not letting that affect his mission – to bounce back from his first professional defeat.
"No, I'm going to come out to finish him," del Valle told Hablemos MMA in Spanish when asked if Elkins' retirement bout could affect him. "I look to get a finish and a bonus. He's retiring, and that's it. I think because it's his last fight, he might want to give a final war, so I mentally have prepared myself for a war. I don't expect this to be an easy fight. I'm thinking I'm fighting a dangerous guy with a lot of experience. He's an old lion in this promotion. I expect the best from him. I expect him to be aggressive and try to take me out."
Del Valle finds it surreal to be fighting Elkins. When del Valle made his pro MMA debut in 2019, Elkins had already been fighting in the UFC for almost a decade.
#fight #going #almost #years
After almost 20 years of fighting professionally with over 40 fights recorded, Elkins (29-12 MMA, 19-11 UFC) is set to retire at 42 years of age. His final fight takes place on the main card of UFC Fight Night 284 (Paramount+), which takes place at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. With Elkins being a beloved and respected figure in MMA circles, it could be tough for some to get up and try to ruin his retirement, but not Del Valle (10-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC).
"The Cuban Problem" is staying sharp and not letting that affect his mission – to bounce back from his first professional defeat.
"No, I'm going to come out to finish him," del Valle told Hablemos MMA in Spanish when asked if Elkins' retirement bout could affect him. "I look to get a finish and a bonus. He's retiring, and that's it. I think because it's his last fight, he might want to give a final war, so I mentally have prepared myself for a war. I don't expect this to be an easy fight. I'm thinking I'm fighting a dangerous guy with a lot of experience. He's an old lion in this promotion. I expect the best from him. I expect him to be aggressive and try to take me out."
Del Valle finds it surreal to be fighting Elkins. When del Valle made his pro MMA debut in 2019, Elkins had already been fighting in the UFC for almost a decade.
#fight #going #almost #years
1 day ago
LAS VEGAS – "This is it, brother."
Those were the first words out of Darren Elkins' mouth after he took to the stage at Meta APEX on Wednesday and made it officially official. A bit more weathered and sporting a few more scars than the 25-year-old who made his promotional debut vs. Duane Ludwig at UFC on Versus 1 in March 2010, Elkins (29-12 MMA, 19-11 UFC) said his time has come.
"I'm older in age now," Elkins told MMA Junkie and other reporters. "But mostly I'm starting to get hurt a little bit more often. Getting to train all the time is taking more of a toll on my body than it used to. It's time. I've been contemplating it for a while. I just talked to my family, worked it all out. I'm like, 'I've always wanted to lay my gloves in the octagon and do it where most people don't get that chance. They either get cut, or they just have to say on social media that they retired. I wanted it to be in the moment, lay my gloves down, and ride off into the sunset."
Elkins, 42, is one of the promotion's longest-tenured roster members. He'll put a bow on a near-20-year professional fighting career Saturday when he makes the final walk to the cage to battle Yadier del Valle (10-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in a three-round featherweight bout at UFC Fight Night 284.
While some fighters might be nostalgic and emotional, Elkins said he's more appreciative and grateful than anything else. The sport has come a long way, and Elkins is proud to have evolved with it.
#elkins #wanted #vegas
Those were the first words out of Darren Elkins' mouth after he took to the stage at Meta APEX on Wednesday and made it officially official. A bit more weathered and sporting a few more scars than the 25-year-old who made his promotional debut vs. Duane Ludwig at UFC on Versus 1 in March 2010, Elkins (29-12 MMA, 19-11 UFC) said his time has come.
"I'm older in age now," Elkins told MMA Junkie and other reporters. "But mostly I'm starting to get hurt a little bit more often. Getting to train all the time is taking more of a toll on my body than it used to. It's time. I've been contemplating it for a while. I just talked to my family, worked it all out. I'm like, 'I've always wanted to lay my gloves in the octagon and do it where most people don't get that chance. They either get cut, or they just have to say on social media that they retired. I wanted it to be in the moment, lay my gloves down, and ride off into the sunset."
Elkins, 42, is one of the promotion's longest-tenured roster members. He'll put a bow on a near-20-year professional fighting career Saturday when he makes the final walk to the cage to battle Yadier del Valle (10-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in a three-round featherweight bout at UFC Fight Night 284.
While some fighters might be nostalgic and emotional, Elkins said he's more appreciative and grateful than anything else. The sport has come a long way, and Elkins is proud to have evolved with it.
#elkins #wanted #vegas
1 day ago
One more "Damage" fight incoming.
Longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight veteran and all-around violent fighter Darren Elkins returns to action against Cuban prospect Yadier del Valle in the "Featured" fight of UFC Vegas 120 this weekend (Sat., Aug. 8, 2026) inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
And this weekend will be his final UFC fight.
"This is it, brother," Elkins told MMAmania.com during UFC Vegas 120 media day. "I'm older in age now, but mostly, I'm starting to get hurt more often. Training more and more is taking a toll on my body more than it used to, so it's time.
"I mean, I've been contemplating it for awhile, and I talked with my family," Elkins continued. "I've always wanted to lay my gloves in the Octagon, and most people don't get that chance — they either get cut or have to say it on social media. So, I wanted to do it and ride off into the sunset."
#i 've #weekend #wanted #damage
Longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight veteran and all-around violent fighter Darren Elkins returns to action against Cuban prospect Yadier del Valle in the "Featured" fight of UFC Vegas 120 this weekend (Sat., Aug. 8, 2026) inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
And this weekend will be his final UFC fight.
"This is it, brother," Elkins told MMAmania.com during UFC Vegas 120 media day. "I'm older in age now, but mostly, I'm starting to get hurt more often. Training more and more is taking a toll on my body more than it used to, so it's time.
"I mean, I've been contemplating it for awhile, and I talked with my family," Elkins continued. "I've always wanted to lay my gloves in the Octagon, and most people don't get that chance — they either get cut or have to say it on social media. So, I wanted to do it and ride off into the sunset."
#i 've #weekend #wanted #damage
6 days ago
PERTH, AUSTRALIA - MAY 02: Quillan Salkilld of Australia prepares to face Beneil Dariush of Iran in a lightweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at RAC Arena on May 02, 2026 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)
The UFC has a busy month scheduled for August. The fight promotion is set to hold five events on five Saturday's with only one of those fight cards taking place in Las Vegas. That Vegas show, UFC Vegas 120 takes place on Saturday, August 8 at the Meta Apex. In the main event, top-15 ranked lightweight contenders Mateusz Gamrot and Quillan Salkilld meet in a pivotal 155-pound battle. The UFC recently announced nine official matchups for UFC Vegas 120.
UFC Announces Six Bouts For 2026 Noche UFC Fight Card
Mateusz Gamrot vs. Quillan Salkilld
Ty Miller vs. Billy Ray Goff
Diyar Nurgozhay vs. Bruno Lopes
Diego Ferreira vs. Billy Quarantillo
Louie Sutherland vs. José Luiz
Darren Elkins vs. Yadier del Valle
Steven Asplund vs. Guilherme Pat
Juliana Miller vs. Ravena Oliveira
Amanda Lemos vs. Alexia Thainara
MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 11: Mateusz Gamrot of Poland celebrates after defeating Esteban Ribovics of Argentina, not pictured, via submission in a lightweight bout during UFC 327 at the Kaseya Center on April 11, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
#quillan #lightweight #Perth
The UFC has a busy month scheduled for August. The fight promotion is set to hold five events on five Saturday's with only one of those fight cards taking place in Las Vegas. That Vegas show, UFC Vegas 120 takes place on Saturday, August 8 at the Meta Apex. In the main event, top-15 ranked lightweight contenders Mateusz Gamrot and Quillan Salkilld meet in a pivotal 155-pound battle. The UFC recently announced nine official matchups for UFC Vegas 120.
UFC Announces Six Bouts For 2026 Noche UFC Fight Card
Mateusz Gamrot vs. Quillan Salkilld
Ty Miller vs. Billy Ray Goff
Diyar Nurgozhay vs. Bruno Lopes
Diego Ferreira vs. Billy Quarantillo
Louie Sutherland vs. José Luiz
Darren Elkins vs. Yadier del Valle
Steven Asplund vs. Guilherme Pat
Juliana Miller vs. Ravena Oliveira
Amanda Lemos vs. Alexia Thainara
MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 11: Mateusz Gamrot of Poland celebrates after defeating Esteban Ribovics of Argentina, not pictured, via submission in a lightweight bout during UFC 327 at the Kaseya Center on April 11, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
#quillan #lightweight #Perth
14 days ago
Darren Elkins is ready to make the walk one more time at UFC Vegas 120.
"The Damage" is set to fight Yadier del Valle (10-1) on Aug. 8 in a featherweight bout, one of several matchups officially announced Thursday for the upcoming show at Meta Apex in Las Vegas. For Elkins (19-11), this will be his 31st octagon appearance.
The 42-year-old Elkins hasn't fought since April 2025, when he lost via first-round TKO to Julian Erosa, snapping a two-fight win streak. In a post on Instagram, Elkins referred to the del Valle fight as "My last dance!"
Del Valle looks to rebound from his first pro loss after he was defeated by Jordan Leavitt this past February.
Other bouts made official for Aug. 8 include a matchup between strawweight contenders Amanda Lemos (15-6-1) and Alexia Thainara (14-1), Diego Ferreira (19-7) welcoming Billy Quarantillo (18-7) to the lightweight division, and undefeated Dana White's Contender Series welterweight prospect Ty Miller (7-0, 1 NC) taking on Billy Ray Goff (9-4).
#yadier
"The Damage" is set to fight Yadier del Valle (10-1) on Aug. 8 in a featherweight bout, one of several matchups officially announced Thursday for the upcoming show at Meta Apex in Las Vegas. For Elkins (19-11), this will be his 31st octagon appearance.
The 42-year-old Elkins hasn't fought since April 2025, when he lost via first-round TKO to Julian Erosa, snapping a two-fight win streak. In a post on Instagram, Elkins referred to the del Valle fight as "My last dance!"
Del Valle looks to rebound from his first pro loss after he was defeated by Jordan Leavitt this past February.
Other bouts made official for Aug. 8 include a matchup between strawweight contenders Amanda Lemos (15-6-1) and Alexia Thainara (14-1), Diego Ferreira (19-7) welcoming Billy Quarantillo (18-7) to the lightweight division, and undefeated Dana White's Contender Series welterweight prospect Ty Miller (7-0, 1 NC) taking on Billy Ray Goff (9-4).
#yadier
14 days ago
There will be blood … seriously.
Longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight veteran Darren Elkins is officially back, as "The Damage" returns to action against Cuban prospect Yadier del Valle at UFC Vegas 120 next month.
The event goes down Sat., Aug. 8, 2026, inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The promotion announced the matchup today in a press release.
Elkins (29-12) will enter the Octagon after a 16-month layoff. In his most recent outing at UFC 314, the 41-year-old veteran was destroyed by Julian Erosa (watch highlights), which snapped a two-fight win streak.
#month #ultimate #championship #featherweight
Longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight veteran Darren Elkins is officially back, as "The Damage" returns to action against Cuban prospect Yadier del Valle at UFC Vegas 120 next month.
The event goes down Sat., Aug. 8, 2026, inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The promotion announced the matchup today in a press release.
Elkins (29-12) will enter the Octagon after a 16-month layoff. In his most recent outing at UFC 314, the 41-year-old veteran was destroyed by Julian Erosa (watch highlights), which snapped a two-fight win streak.
#month #ultimate #championship #featherweight
1 month ago
MP Materials Corp. (NYSE:MP) is among the Most Promising Stocks.
On June 28, The Wall Street Journal reported that MP Materials Corp. (NYSE:MP) sued USA Rare Earth, alleging the company misappropriated proprietary grain boundary diffusion technology through former engineer Kevin Elkins. However, Kevin denies the allegations. MP seeks at least $5 million in damages. The firm claims USA Rare Earth conducted a "raiding mission" by hiring at least eight key employees.
The WSJ said USA Rare Earth rejected the lawsuit, calling the claims "baseless" and arguing in a Texas court filing that the technology is "readily ascertainable via independent development, reverse engineering, and/or other proper means."
An MP Materials Corp. (NYSE:MP) spokesperson said, "Competition is good, but blatant theft is unacceptable." A USA Rare Earth spokesperson said the firm is "making significant strides in furthering America's strategic interests."
The Journal reported the legal battle shows intensifying competition as companies race to build a US rare-earth supply chain supported by billions in government and private investment.
On June 28, The Wall Street Journal reported that MP Materials Corp. (NYSE:MP) sued USA Rare Earth, alleging the company misappropriated proprietary grain boundary diffusion technology through former engineer Kevin Elkins. However, Kevin denies the allegations. MP seeks at least $5 million in damages. The firm claims USA Rare Earth conducted a "raiding mission" by hiring at least eight key employees.
The WSJ said USA Rare Earth rejected the lawsuit, calling the claims "baseless" and arguing in a Texas court filing that the technology is "readily ascertainable via independent development, reverse engineering, and/or other proper means."
An MP Materials Corp. (NYSE:MP) spokesperson said, "Competition is good, but blatant theft is unacceptable." A USA Rare Earth spokesperson said the firm is "making significant strides in furthering America's strategic interests."
The Journal reported the legal battle shows intensifying competition as companies race to build a US rare-earth supply chain supported by billions in government and private investment.
1 month ago
By Karen Roman
Vinson & Elkins said Michael Jay is the firm's latest Los Angeles-based partner in its Intellectual Property & Technology Litigation practice, having previously served in the Patent Litigation Group at DLA Piper.
Mr. Jay is a first-chair trial lawyer with more than 20 years of experience in patent and trade secret disputes across technology, media, energy transition, and life sciences companies, the firm stated. His litigation background includes cases in federal district courts and the U.S. International Trade Commission, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
"As the fourth California-based IP litigator to join the firm this year, Michael's arrival reflects the momentum of our IP practice and our ability to attract top talent," said Steve Moore, Vinson & Elkins co-head of the IP and Technology Litigation practice.
"Michael's technical fluency and litigation experience strengthen our ability to help clients in innovation-driven industries with complex business challenges," said Hilary Preston, co-head of the firm's IP and Technology Litigation practice.
Vinson & Elkins said Michael Jay is the firm's latest Los Angeles-based partner in its Intellectual Property & Technology Litigation practice, having previously served in the Patent Litigation Group at DLA Piper.
Mr. Jay is a first-chair trial lawyer with more than 20 years of experience in patent and trade secret disputes across technology, media, energy transition, and life sciences companies, the firm stated. His litigation background includes cases in federal district courts and the U.S. International Trade Commission, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
"As the fourth California-based IP litigator to join the firm this year, Michael's arrival reflects the momentum of our IP practice and our ability to attract top talent," said Steve Moore, Vinson & Elkins co-head of the IP and Technology Litigation practice.
"Michael's technical fluency and litigation experience strengthen our ability to help clients in innovation-driven industries with complex business challenges," said Hilary Preston, co-head of the firm's IP and Technology Litigation practice.
1 month ago
By Karen Roman
Vinson & Elkins said it appointed Jason Marty as new Chief Operating Officer starting June 29, 2026, succeeding Adam Kassoff who plans to retire and who will remain in the firm for a transition period.
Mr. Marty has over 20 years of leadership experience at diverse international law firms including Baker McKenzie and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, and has worked together with firm leadership on strategy, financial management, technology, and growth initiatives in complex international organizations, the firm stated.
Mr. Marty also co-founded a company that strengthens client relationship management and business development in law firms using AI, while earlier in his career he led global knowledge management, marketing and operational initiatives, Vinson & Elkins said.
"Jason is an accomplished leader with a deep understanding of what it takes to operate and grow a sophisticated organization," said Keith Fullenweider, Vinson & Elkins' Chair. "He brings a rare combination of operational excellence, strategic insight, technological fluency, and an understanding that our business is built on relationships, trust and client service."
Vinson & Elkins said it appointed Jason Marty as new Chief Operating Officer starting June 29, 2026, succeeding Adam Kassoff who plans to retire and who will remain in the firm for a transition period.
Mr. Marty has over 20 years of leadership experience at diverse international law firms including Baker McKenzie and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, and has worked together with firm leadership on strategy, financial management, technology, and growth initiatives in complex international organizations, the firm stated.
Mr. Marty also co-founded a company that strengthens client relationship management and business development in law firms using AI, while earlier in his career he led global knowledge management, marketing and operational initiatives, Vinson & Elkins said.
"Jason is an accomplished leader with a deep understanding of what it takes to operate and grow a sophisticated organization," said Keith Fullenweider, Vinson & Elkins' Chair. "He brings a rare combination of operational excellence, strategic insight, technological fluency, and an understanding that our business is built on relationships, trust and client service."
