Darren Elkins submits Fil-Am TJ Brown in UFC Fight Night

MANILA, Philippines -- The old dawg still has what it takes to win.

With his own blood dripping down his face, the 39-year old Elkin submitted Filipino-American TJ Brown with a rear-naked choke at the 2:23 mark of the third round in the preliminary rounds of UFC Fight Night: Edzon Barbosa vs Sodiq Yusuff at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas Sunday.

Both fighters gamely fought each other in the first two rounds until the fateful third round when Brown fell into a precarious position.

Elkins bounced back from a loss in his previous outing to Jonathan Pearce to improve to 28-11 MMA, 18-10 UFC, while Brown (17-11 MMA, 3-5 UFC) lost his second straight.

The Fil-Am from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, lost both his fights this 2023. Ironically, he lost to Bill Algeo in April of this year also via a rear-naked choke.

It was a disappointing loss for Brown, who was in need of a win to give him a chance to earn a new contract from the UFC. With the defeat that places his UFC record at 3-5, it remains to be seen if his contract will be renewed.

Brown’s loss makes it a terrible year in the UFC for Filipinos born overseas. Ricky Turcios, Josh Culibao and Punahele Soriano all lost their last fights this 2023.