UFC Vegas 45: Cub Swanson shocks with TKO of Darren Elkins in first round (Video)

UFC Vegas 45: Cub Swanson defeated Darren Elkins.

Cub Swanson defeated Darren Elkins via TKO (strikes), Round 1 – 2:12 at UFC 269 on Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021, live from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, NV.

“It was a big movement, you start questioning how long you want to do this… I knew if I stayed fluid and fast… I would be fine,” said Swanson, who celebrated the victory in the Octagon with his children.

Swanson and Elkins wasted little tiny as they started throwing. Elkins landed a massive right hand but Swanson found success moving in and out. Swanson landed a straight punch that dropped Elkins forward. Elkins was able to get back to his feet. Swanson dropped Elkins again with a three-punch combination. Elkins was stumbling all over the canvas before getting back up. Swanson partially connect with a spinning back kick and then landed a flow-up punch that dropped Elkins. Immediately, referee Herb Dean moved in and stopped the fight.

Swanson has been a staple of the UFC roster since he made his promotional debut on Nov. 12, 2011. In his last fight, Swanson was knocked out in the first round by Giga Chikadze in 63 seconds. The loss snapped a two fight winning streak for Swanson. With his victory on Saturday night, Swanson improved to 28-12, with 13 knockouts.

Elkins made his UFC debut on March 21, 2010, fighting 24 times for the promotion. In his last fight, Elkins knocked out Darrick Minner to earn a performance of the night bonus. The victory was Elkins’ second in a row. Following his loss on Saturday, Elkins dropped to 26-10 in his career.

UFC Vegas 45 took place on Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021, live from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, NV. Follow along with FanSided MMA, who is on-site, for all your news and highlights.