Darren Elkins and Daniel Pineda meet on the main card of UFC Fight Night 245 on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.

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Darren Elkins vs. Daniel Pineda UFC Fight Night 245 preview

Elkins (28-11 MMA, 18-10 UFC) has alternated wins and losses in his last four fights and enters his first fight in a year after a third-round submission win over TJ Brown. The 40-year-old grizzled veteran most recently recorded back-to-back wins, defeating Eduardo Garagorri in November 2020 and Darrick Minner in July 2021. … Pineda (28-16 MMA, 5-7 UFC) is coming off rematches against Nathaniel Wood and Alex Caceres. The 39-year-old's last win was a second-round submission of Tucker Lutz last March.

Darren Elkins vs. Daniel Pineda UFC Fight Night 245 Expert Pick, Prediction

Kicking off the main card is some real featherweight action between Elkins and Pineda that would make Joe Silva proud.

Elkins, who reminds me of the Matt Damon puppet in Team America, is a fan favorite for the blood and guts he has graced us with.

And while he's not as popular as a name, Pineda deserves similar accolades due to his fan-friendly style that prioritizes placings over round wins.

Both men are at the end of their careers due to their age, but each struggles with the passion of a 20-year-old trying to prove his masculinity.

That being said, the dynamics of this fight are pretty clear: Either Pineda will finish his opponent early, or Elkins will come on strong and drag things out late.

Even though I'm more on the side of the latter part of this equation, I find that I like Pineda's side at this point.

Not only is Pineda's punch against an aging Elkins too strong to miss, “The Pit” is also quietly one of the most dangerous submission grapplers in this division – so don't be surprised if you're on this one See a submission win Saturday.

The choice is Pineda, who will score a club-and-sub victory via guillotine in Round 2.

Darren Elkins vs Daniel Pineda UFC Fight Night 245 odds

Although oddsmakers pegged the slightly younger fighter as a slight favorite, public money pushed this contest to pick 'em odds, with Pineda listed -106 and Elkins -114 via FanDuel.

Darren Elkins vs. Daniel Pineda UFC Fight Night 245 start time, how to watch

Elkins and Pineda are expected to head to the cage as the card's main openers at approximately 7:05 p.m. ET (4:05 p.m. PT). The fight will be streamed on ESPN+.