Looks like UFC featherweight contender Chad Mendes‘ streak of not fighting his scheduled opponent continues.
After an undisclosed injury forced Clay Guida to withdraw from his April 20 fight with “Money” Mendes on Friday, surging 145-pound prospect Darren Elkins has agreed to fill the void, MMA Junkie reports.
“The Damage” has been on a tear ever since dropping down to featherweight, as a matter of fact, he is the only 145-pounder on the UFC roster to currently have a five-fight win streak.
His most recent victory came at UFC 158 on Saturday, as he scored a controversial TKO over Antonio Carvalho on the preliminary card. This was his first stoppage victory in nearly three years.
Afterwards, Elkins made it clear he wanted a top 10 opponent next and he certainly has one in Mendes, a former title challenger who is currently ranked the No. 1 featherweight in the UFC’s official rankings.
Mendes boasts a 4-1 record inside the Octagon, with his sole loss being a first-round knockout at the hands of divisional champion Jose Aldo at UFC 142 last January.
Since then, he easily beat inferior competition in Cody McKenzie and Yaotzin Meza, knocking each opponent out in less than two minutes.
Mendes, who most recently defeated Meza at UFC on FX 6 in December, was originally slated to fight Hacran Dias at the event but a late injury forced him out of the bout.
Then, the Team Alpha Male standout was slated to take on Manny Gamburyan at UFC 157 last month, but the “Ultimate Fighter” alumnus pulled out of the fight due to a fractured elbow and broken thumb.
Since Gamburyan‘s injury occurred just 15 days before his bout with Mendes, it was too late to find a substitute and Mendes was subsequently removed from the event.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com