MMA Preview – Darren Elkins vs TJ Brown at UFC Fight Night 230
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
DARREN ELKINS VS TJ BROWN FACTS
When is UFC Fight Night 230? Saturday 14th October, 2023 - 22:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 230? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 230? Click here to buy tickets for UFC Fight Night
What channel is UFC Fight Night 230 on? TNT Sports 1
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 230? TNT Sports subscribers can stream the fight online via the TNT Sports website and Discovery+
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 TJ BROWN LOWDOWN
The ever-present Darren Elkins (27-11) walks out for his 28th UFC fight. When he went on a four-fight skid between 2018 – 2020, many thought that was finally the end of his UFC career. However, he rose from the dead once again to submit Luiz Eduardo Garagorri (2020) and TKO Darrick Minner (2021). He got stopped by an incredible Cub Swanson (2021) spinning wheel kick but bounced back again with a vintage unanimous decision over Tristan Connelly (2022). However, he is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Jonathan Pearce back in December last year to knock his UFC record down to 17-10.
TJ Brown (17-10) is cut from a similar cloth with a mixed bag of results since he joined the UFC. He lost his first two UFC fights in 2020 but bounced back with hard-fought decisions over Kai Kamaka (2020) and Charles Rosa (2022). He then lost a unanimous decision to Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (2022) before his best performance to date, submitting Erick Silva (2022) in the third round. However, he is also coming off a loss getting submitted by Bill Algeo back in April to go 3-4 in the UFC.
DARREN ELKINS VS TJ BROWN PREDICTION
We know exactly what to expect from Elkins by now and that will be a relentless pace and volume, enforcing the pressure with his wrestling. Brown also brings constant output on the feet and lands more takedowns per fight than Elkins (3.53).
So, this should be a frenetic scrap and Brown has the youth and less miles on the clock. That said, he gets knocked down or taken down in almost every fight whereas Elkins’ durability is never in doubt despite the amount of miles on the clock.
Brown is the favourite, but we expect this to be a gritty back-and-forth battle exchanging takedowns and leather to the face. As this is what Elkins excels in, he is a smart pick, but we feel the youth and aggression of Brown will get him over the line.
Prediction: Brown via Decision
Value bet: Elkins via Decision
