Darren Elkins made sure his fingerprints were on the UFC on Fox 25 co-main event.
A suffocating clinch, well-conceived takedowns and superior positional grappling carried the resurgent Team Alpha Male rep to a split decision over the favored Dennis Bermudez on Saturday at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. Judges Douglas Crosby and Dave Tirelli scored it 29-28 for Elkins, while Bryan Miner saw it 29-28 for Bermudez.
Elkins -- who entered the match as a +170 underdog, per BetDSI.com -- executed two takedowns in the first round and another in the second, consolidating those efforts with guard passes and submission attempts.