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.
