UFC Vegas 45 video: Cub Swanson tears through Darren Elkins in first round

Putting Darren Elkins away isn’t supposed to be easy.

Apparently nobody told that to Cub Swanson.

Swanson (28-12) needed less than three minutes to bulldoze through Elkins (26-10) on Saturday night in the main card opener of UFC Vegas 45.

It was a vintage performance, as the 38-year-old veteran repeatedly darted in and out of the pocket while blasting Elkins with big punches.

The finishing sequence was a thing of beauty as Swanson rocked his foe with a three-punch combination before pouncing and ultimately ending Elkins’ night with a spinning wheel kick to secure Swanson’s third win over his last four contests, and move into a tie with Jose Aldo and Max Holloway for the most wins (18) in UFC/WEC featherweight history.

“It’s a big moment,” an emotional Swanson said. “You start to question how long you want to do it. I keep telling everyone I feel good, I feel better than ever. I just needed to show it.”

The official time of the stoppage came at 2:12 of the opening round.

For Elkins, the setback snapped a two-fight winning streak.

Watch video of Swanson’s handiwork below.