UFC 158 Victor Darren Elkins Steps Up to Keep Chad Mendes on UFC on Fox 7 Fight Card

Chad Mendes is now slated to fight Darren Elkins at UFC on Fox 7 on April 20 in San Jose, Calif.

UFC officials announced the new match-up on Tuesday morning.

This will hopefully be the final in a laundry list of opponent changes for Mendes (13-1). He was originally scheduled to fight Manny Gamburyan at UFC 157. When Gamburyan withdrew due to injury, Mendes was then moved to the UFC on Fox 7 card to face Clay Guida. Like Gamburyan, Guida succumbed to an injury, pulling out of that fight.

Mendes will remain on the UFC on Fox 7 fight card, trying to claw his way back into title contention by stepping into the Octagon opposite Elkins.

Elkins (11-2) was doing well as a lightweight, but has a spotless record since making the drop to 145 pounds.

He is currently on a five-fight winning streak at featherweight, fresh off of a TKO stoppage of Antonio Carvalho at this past weekend’s UFC 158: St-Pierre vs. Diaz in Montreal.

The two will likely take an open spot on the UFC on Fox 7 prelims that air on FX.

UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson squares off with Strikeforce 155-pound titleholder Gilbert Melendez in the UFC on Fox 7 main event.