As a diehard Star Wars fan, Darren Elkins knows that when the first film in the series was released in 1977, the initial plan was that Luke Skywalker was going to be the hero that everyone rushed to and wanted to be like. But as time passed, almost every kid enamored with the beloved space opera gravitated to the anti-hero of sorts, Han Solo.
And while this won’t come out of the Indiana native’s mouth, as he continues to pile up wins with his gritty, blue collar style, maybe, just maybe, Elkins is becoming the UFC’s Han Solo, the guy who came out of nowhere to win the hearts of fans around the globe.
He would be cool with that.
“That’s what I’m shooting for,” he laughs. “I’m starting to get that feel. In all my fights I show heart, and I think a lot of people are starting to see that and respect that.”
Winner of five straight heading into his Sunday bout against Michael Johnson, Elkins’ no nonsense, no frills attack has served him well as he’s risen to the No. 10-spot in the featherweight rankings, and he feels like things are just starting to come together for him.
“I think I’m improving and just hitting my peak,” he said. “I’m training full-time, no pipe fitting, I’ve got Team Alpha Male
Urijah Faber.
“When I first came out here I stayed for three weeks and trained with the team to kind of get a feel for it,” Elkins said. “And from Day One I knew it was a good fit for me and this is where I needed to be. They had similar styles to me and the same mentality, so right from then on, I was telling my wife that this is where I need to be. To be the best, this is where I needed to go, and the rest is history. I was nervous coming here at first, but it all paid off.”
Of course, his array of wins since moving out west speak for themselves, but there is always that question that boxing legend Marvelous Marvin Hagler brought up, saying that it’s hard to get up and do roadwork in the morning if you’re sleeping in silk sheets. Elkins doesn’t strike me as a silk sheet kind of guy, but does a little of the edge get removed when you’re not digging through a foot of snow to get to practice every day?
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“You can move me anywhere and I’ll have that edge,” he said. “Going to work (as a pipefitter and fighter), I had to find ways to get things done, and it’s what I’ve always done. As far as missing that stuff, it’s an edge, but it’s also a disadvantage. Half the time, people can’t make it to practice – they’re stuck in snow or it’s too cold and they’ve got to fix something. So you lose a lot of your training partners when it’s that kind of weather.”
Elkins doesn’t have that issue in California. But what about Hawaii? Would he keep the edge there?
“Hawaii’s nice,” he laughs. “I don’t know, I might just become a surfer.”
That might be good news for the featherweight division he is making his mark in at the moment. Owner of a 12-3 slate since moving from lightweight in 2011, Elkins knows exactly what longtime 155-pound contender Johnson is going through in his first move to the 145-pound class, and it’s not pretty.
“The big thing is, when I made it (145) for the first time, my transition was pretty long,” he said. “I think I had a five, six
