MMA Preview – Darren Elkins vs Darrick Minner at UFC Vegas 32
DARREN ELKINS VS DARRICK MINNER FACTS
When is UFC Vegas 32? Saturday 25th July, 2021 - 22:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Vegas 32? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Vegas 32? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Vegas 32 on? BT Sport 2
Where can I stream UFC Vegas 32? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
DARREN ELKINS VS DARRICK MINNER LOWDOWN
Darren Elkins (25-9) just keeps coming back for more. He walks out for his 24th UFC fight and after Alexander Volkanovski snapped his six-fight win streak, he went on to lose three more suffering a four-fight skid. He got TKO’d by Ricardo Lamas and then lost two unanimous decisions to Ryan Hall and Nate Landwehr. It seemed like the writing may be on the wall for the 37-year-old but he returned to fight Luiz Eduardo Garagorri and delivered a classic Elkins performance grinding out seven takedowns and eventually putting Garagorri out of his misery with a rear-naked choke.
Darrick Minner (26-11) is cut from a similar cloth and is a grappling machine. He is a ruthless jiu-jitsu practitioner winning 22 of his 26 wins via submission. He lost his debut getting a taste of his own medicine, but he stepped up on short notice for a very tough fight taking on Grant Dawson who submitted him in the second round. However, he has bounced back with a submission over TJ Laramie and a unanimous decision over Charles Rosa.
DARREN ELKINS VS DARRICK MINNER PREDICTION
This is good matchmaking as they both rely on their grappling. Elkins is more of a grinder relying on his cardio and durability to wear his opponent down whereas Minner is more aggressive pouncing on any opportunity for a submission.
When it comes to their striking, Minner is also very aggressive swinging wildly to drop his opponent down to the mat. Elkins is more methodical but is not the most technical either and relies on his chin to walk people down and overwhelm them with his pressure.
We can see their grappling cancel each other out for portions of the fight so we are likely to some scrappy stand-up exchanges. There will still be a lot of takedown attempts from both men, and it will be a very close contest. If the fight goes into the third round, you have to back Elkins to finish stronger regardless of how much damage he has absorbed.
Elkins’ submission defence and cardio swing this in his favour and as he is the underdog, he is the value bet, but this is bound to be a close one.
Prediction: Elkins via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Elkins via Decision
