Nate Landwehr: I Beat Darren Elkins Just as Bad as the UFC Champ Featherweight Champ Did

Listen to this scream by @NateTheTrain, who's rolling in Round 2 #UFCFL pic.twitter.com/SWW6nPYVcv

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 16, 2020

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Nate Landwehr was one of the most colorful fighters in action at UFC on ESPN 8.

The former M-1 Challenge champion taunted opponent Darren Elkins, showboated and yelled at UFC president Dana White, who was seated cageside at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday night.

“Oh, I heard it,” White said at the UFC on ESPN 8 post-fight press conference. “There was like six people in there, I heard him screaming. That guy was a nut. That was a fun fight. It was a fun fight, and that guy was fun.”

These two are madmen @DarrenElkinsMMA @NateTheTrain #UFCFL pic.twitter.com/FWR4HMkxS0

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 16, 2020

Most importantly, Landwehr secured his first UFC victory, as he bloodied Elkins en route to a unanimous decision triumph in a preliminary featherweight affair. It was a complete turnaround from his Octagon debut, when he was knocked out by a Herbert Burns flying knee at UFC Fight Night 166 on Jan. 25. “The Train” believes his performance against Elkins compares favorably with that of reigning featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski, who outpointed “The Damage” in July 2018.

I’m ready to fight and put on a show,” Landwehr said after the bout. “My manager called me with Darren Elkins, I knew he had fought the who’s who. I think I beat him just as bad as the champ beat him. He’s beat a lot of good people and he’s had close fights with a lot of people. I think I beat him pretty handily.

Landwehr, who has won eight of his last nine professional appearances, claims he could have been even more dominant against Elkins – but putting on a show was prioritized.

“I could have poured it on a little bit more if I wasn’t doing so much entertaining,” he said. “I think I just proved that I am one of the most elite fighters on the planet.”