Hoosier-native Elkins gets big win at UFC Fight Night

Indiana-native Darren Elkins lands a punch during the third round of his fight against Hatsu Hioki at UFC Fight Night on Wednesday.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The local interest in mixed martial arts isn't as high in central Indiana as many other parts of the country -- the sport is as big as football in some places -- so the crowd at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Wednesday wasn't universally swayed in any direction or bias.

Except when Portage-native Darren Elkins entered the Octagon for the second televised fight of the night.

If that name sounds familiar, and it should to some, it's because Elkins won an IHSAA state wrestling championship in 2004 at 140 pounds. In the title match he beat Greencastle's Charlie Pingleton, handing the local wrestler his only loss of the season.

Pingleton won the NAIA national championship last season, wrestling for Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.), and has since begun an MMA career of his own.

Darren "The Damage" Elkins (18-3) made his MMA debut six years ago and has been working his way up the ranks ever since. He appeared at UFC on Fox event earlier this year and was one of the highlighted undercard events on Wednesday.

Elkins competes in the 145-pound featherweight division and has built his career as an emerging contender using his wrestling background. That was on full display Wednesday in his three-round unanimous decision win over Hatsu Hioki.

"I thought (the wrestling) helped me in the second round and the third round," Elkins said. "That came in handy when I needed it."

The Hoosier-native had a couple hundred friends and family members in the audience for the bout, he said.

While he is at least a couple fights away from becoming a championship contender, Elkins is one of the most successful featherweights in UFC. His six wins in the class is the most of any active UFC fighter.

Elkins trains as a member of the growing Team Colon, an MMA-exclusive gym in Portage that houses about 15 active fighters. His choice to stay home in Indiana instead of moving to a larger, more established facility in a bigger MMA market was reason enough for the crowd to cheer on Thursday.

His win over Hioki and the next step up the contender ladder made the night even better.