MANILA, Philippines – When TJ Brown and Darren Elkins take to the Octagon for the final match of the preliminary card of UFC Fight Night: Yusuff vs Barboza on Sunday, October 15, there will be an air of urgency if not desperation.
For Elkins (27-11), he is 39 years old, and this could possibly be a final match or he could stretch it a bit should he take the dub.
For the 33-year-old Brown (17-10), it is the last fight of his current UFC contract and he needs to not only win, but win convincingly so he could earn another deal.
Both are coming off disappointing losses. Elkins lost to Jonathan Pearce via unanimous decision in December 2022. This will be his first fight in almost a year as he is recovering from various leg injuries suffered during that fight.
Bill Algeo submitted Brown with a rear naked choke in April 2023.
This fight is expected to show off some fireworks.
“I need to make a statement in this fight,” bared Brown. “Darren is an OG. I have a lot of respect for him, but it is my job to put him away. He is a dog — super tough and gritty — but you can say the same thing about me; except I am a younger version of him.”
If Elkins likes to stand in the pocket and trade strikes, Brown can either take him to the mat or fight him straight up.
He is aware though that Elkins could try and wrestle him. Brown has been taken down 14 times in his last matches and that is something the Filipino-American has worked on.
“My ju-jitsu had gotten good and I became comfortable to be able to sweep opponents off their feet,” related Brown. “In the process, I got lax and allowed these take downs. So I had been working on that. It starts with my feet and landing my jabs. It will be hard to take me down.”
One thing that has lifted up Brown is reconnected with his Filipino father who he only met last year.
“I met him about a year ago and we somewhat reconnected. I also have a grandmother and a sister over here. It was a cool experience and it was a question I have had for a lot of my life and I wanted to know where I come from. It was a great experience to know him.”
“Now, I am planning on bringing my son over to Manila next year.”
Speaking of growing up in Arkansas, Brown admitted it wasn’t easy being different.
“There are not many Filipinos in my school in Arkansas and there were challenges. But I got through and am now proud of who I am. I have always been told that Filipinos have a fighting culture. If I can tap into that and get a win that would be great.”
Hence, this urgent fight against Elkins.
“In my eyes I can be more patient. When I see blood in the water, I attack. One of my keys to victory is to keep my composure. Patience is important.”
“It has been great to be a part of the UFC and I am excited to be part of it. Hopefully, I can get a new contract too.”
The Elkins-Brown match will be televised live this coming Sunday, October 15, on the Premier Sports channel on Skycable and Cignal as well as the TapGo TV streaming application.
The preliminary card as well as the Elkins-Brown match will start at 4 a.m. with the main card at 7 a.m.