Athletes
Evan Elder Is Making Up For Lost Time
After Picking Up A Submission Win In July, Evan Elder Is Hoping To Keep Making The Right Moves To Climb The Ladder At Lightweight
Evan Elder admits that heavyweight champion Jon Jones might have produced a little hesitation, but facing practically anyone else on four days’ notice wouldn’t make the lightweight prospect blink.
So, when his manager called him last month and asked him if could fight on July 13, he was in.
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“I was like, absolutely, let's do it,” said Elder. “I was just really ready to take any opportunity that was given to me. I'm not really one to wait around and wait for circumstances to be perfect. I want to go out there and make it happen. Go out and force opportunity. I feel like opportunity favors the fearless, and so you got to go out there and take risks and be willing to fail in order to actually make the most of those opportunities.”
But four days? That’s a lot of fearlessness.
“I hate just sitting around, waiting for life to happen to me,” he continues. “I can't do it, man. I know that God has too much for us and we just have to dive into our fear, face our fear head-on and embrace being uncomfortable. So they could have told me any name, and I was like, well, I have to take this opportunity because I'm not just going to sit around and wait for life to happen to me. I'm going to go out there and get it and just believe in what God has for me.”
The name was Darrius Flowers, a talented graduate of Dana White’s Contender Series with a little edge to his own motivation, considering he was on a two-fight losing streak. Elder, 1-2 since making his UFC debut in 2022, had been on the sidelines since a July 2023 win over Genaro Valdez, and he just wanted to fight.
So the stars aligned and the two agreed on the short-notice bout up a weight class at welterweight – in Denver, at high altitude, no less. And they got after it until Elder submitted Flowers with an arm triangle choke at 1:46 of the second round. Not a bad way to put a stamp on your summer, and “The Phenom” doesn’t want to wait a year for the next one.
“I'm trying to get back in there as soon as possible,” he said. “So I'm hoping they give me something for September and then maybe I could fight again, God willing, in December, and try to get two more before the end of the year.”
With back-to-back UFC wins and a Fight of the Night bonus (for his loss against Nazim Sadykhov) now under his belt, a couple more trips to the Octagon before 2024 closes would do wonders for the profile of the 27-year-old, who is still less than a year into his new digs in Las Vegas after leaving South Florida and the Kill FC team.
WATCH: Evan Elder Submits Darrius Flowers | UFC Denver
“I really wanted to change stuff up and I'm really prioritizing recovery now,” he said. “I have the UFC PI at my disposal, and it’s such an amazing facility. I wanted to come try it out over here and see how things were and I'm really enjoying it so far. So far, it's been about four months and I'm pretty locked in here, but I'm a big fan of life, in general, so I want to travel, and I’ll live anywhere, so I'm willing and able to kind of pick up and move and relocate at any time.”
And though Vegas is home for the moment, Elder, still young and single, has left his options open when it comes to pursuing whatever he needs to keep his career moving in a positive direction.
“I have no idea what the heck life is going to bring, and wherever God wants me to go, I'm going to try my best to be obedient,” said the Missouri native. “And I think that so far, everywhere he's called me has been exactly where I needed to be for that time in my life and I learned a ton.”
MORE: Evan Elder Post-Fight Interview | UFC Denver
He’s still learning, and that’s a good thing for a fighter who just wants to keep this ride going to the top.
“I'm just trying to make up for lost time here,” Elder said. “I was sidelined for a year, so I'm ready to make some moves. I'm far from my prime. I'm just getting started. I really do believe that. Every time you see me fight, you'll see the best version of myself, but also, at the same time, that's the worst you're ever going to see me again. I plan on improving so much in between each fight that I should look like a whole new person every single time.”
