Evan Elder beat Darrius Flowers with a second-round submission Saturday to open the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 59 at Ball Arena in Denver.
Take a look inside the fight with Elder, who won for the second straight time and picked up his first submission in more than five years.
Evan Elder def. Darrius Flowers
“I needed to dive headfirst into that fear.”
Evan Elder embraced the nerves that came with accepting a fight on short-notice and was able to secure the 2nd-round submission win.#UFCDenver Results, Interviews & More ➡️: https://t.co/JQ1Lp7IQiH
— UFC News (@UFCNews) July 14, 2024
Result: Evan Elder def. Darrius Flowers via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 2, 1:46
Updated records: Elder (9-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC), Flowers (12-8-1 MMA, 0-3 UFC) (SUB2)
Key stats: Elder outstruck Flowers 61-26 on the way to the curtain-jerker stoppage.
Elder on the fight's key moment
Jul 13, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Evan Elder (red gloves) fights Darrius Flowers (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
“Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I was going to submit him. He did a pretty good job keeping me off him in the first round. I wasn’t trying to be too overzealous. I thought I was going to finish him in the second. I knew he’s going to come here fighting for his life out here in the first round. Everybody’s tough that first round. Second and third is what we’re made of, so I knew that I could put him away after that.”
Elder on the short-notice assignment
Jul 13, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Evan Elder (red gloves) celebrates defeating Darrius Flowers (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
“Man, it feels great. I got a call Tuesday, getting out of training, so I was on four days’ notice – helped (it was) a weight class of 170. I made weight pretty easy. So four days’ notice – I don’t care if it’s four months, four weeks, four hours, four minutes: Give me a call. I’m here, baby.”
Elder on what he wants next
Jul 13, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Evan Elder (red gloves) celebrates defeating Darrius Flowers (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
“I’m trying to get in here as soon as possible. I’m trying to break necks and cash checks. UFC, Dana White, put me back in here. I’m trying to make some money.”
To hear more from Elder, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 59.
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