UFC featherweight TJ Brown has issued a warning to promotion veteran Darren Elkins ahead of their scheduled bout next month.
The duo are set to meet in the octagon at UFC Vegas 81 on October 14, a card headlined by featherweight contenders Sodiq Yussuf and Edson Barboza. It will act as Brown’s third fight in the last ten months, and he’ll be looking to add yet another performance bonus to his name.
‘Downtown‘ has been a consistently entertaining member of the featherweight division since signing for the UFC back in 2019. His professional record stands at 17-10, with just six of these bouts reaching the final bell.
Elkins, meanwhile, hasn’t fought in 2023. ‘The Damage‘ will be coming into the contest off the back of a decision loss to Jonathan Pearce last December.
TJ Brown on Preparations for October Clash
News of Brown and Elkins’ matchup first broke towards the end of August. The 33-year-old has been in camp for a number of weeks now, training across a few different locations.
When asked about his preparations for the Elkins fight, he said: “It’s been going great. I got back into Arkansas a couple weeks ago and have been training at Westside MMA, along with a bit of cross training at Hot Springs.
“Training’s been very good. I believe Darren Elkins is a game opponent, an OG in the game … he’s not someone I’m overlooking in any way, but at the same time, I think he’s a bit past his prime.
“It’s my job to go in there and put him into retirement.”
Brown has experienced an inconsistent beginning to life within the UFC. The American came up short in his previous bout, succumbing to a second round submission loss at the hands of Bill Algeo.
A constant character in the UFC spotlight, ‘Downtown‘ admits he hasn’t taken the process as seriously as he should have. He attributed his former performance levels to this, stating he had learned a lot from the Algeo defeat.
Brown said: “I want to be as honest as I can. My last two fights I’ve got two bonuses in a row, more money than I’ve ever made in my life.
“But the reality is I wasn’t living right. I’d been drinking and partying so much. That last fight I’d only been training for about three weeks, even though I’d known about it for eight.
He continued: “People may be thinking how could you do that, you’re in the UFC? Life’s tough. I’d been dealing with some mental health stuff, I wasn’t in a good place.
“I think that with a lack of training and focus is what brought that loss.”
The 33-year-old believes he is in a far better place now than in the lead-up to the Algeo fight. An incredible four month-long period of sobriety has reinvigorated Brown, making him increasingly confident going into the Elkins fight.
Darren Elkins: The Opponent
Elkins has been in the UFC since 2010, amassing a record of 17-10 under the promotion banner. The 39-year-old has fought the likes of Charles Oliveira, Chad Mendes and Alexander Volkanovski in that time.
He has fought out of Team Alpha Male since 2016, playing a vital part of the team at the Sacramento gym. Brown sees his fellow countryman as a difficult opponent, but believes his best days may be behind him.
He said: “I think his (Elkins’) striking is tricky. He does a lot of fundamental things right, he tries to establish the jab. He’s got a good overhand right, and he does a good job of mixing his takedowns and takedown entries back into his striking.
“My job is to go out there and push the pace on him, make it my fight, and that’s what I plan on doing.”
He continued: “I really think this is going to be a good opportunity for me to put together a highlight reel. No disrespect.”
The fight is four weeks away, however both men will be more than focused on the challenges their opponent possesses. Brown didn’t want to give any game plans away, but instead issued a caution to Elkins alongside some showstopping intentions.
He told Combat Sports UK: “I’ve got all the respect for the OG. He’s a dog. But I have to go in there and do my job, and I’m looking to put him out, and put him into retirement.”
Do you think TJ Brown will beat Darren Elkins next month? Are you excited to see ‘Downtown’ fight again. Let us know in the comments!
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
