BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – In the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 140, Darren Elkins and Ricardo Lamas, two fighters with a similar mission, will try to regain momentum after a few disappointing setbacks. And the road to recovery has brought them a long way from their Midwest homes to face each other on a rather unlikely stage.

“Coming all the way to Argentina to fight each other is kinda funny” said Darrell Elkins, who’s coming off a loss against Alexander Volkanovski back in July. “I figured maybe they’d put us on (UFC on FOX 31 in Milwaukee) or something, but it is a great opportunity, and I am excited to be here. But I am a little bit surprised.”

UFC Fight Night 140 takes place at Parque Roca Arena. The event airs on FS1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

Even though he will be part of the UFC’s first card in Argentina and the farthest from home he has ever fought, Elkins (24-6 MMA, 14-5 UFC) has been surrounded by familiar faces during this trip.

“It’s awesome. We have four or five people from Team Alpha Male fighting on this card,” Elkins said. “We got a bunch of coaches out here. It’s a great atmosphere when the whole team is out here.”.

Those familiar faces include his opponent, Lamas (18-7 MMA, 9-5 UFC), a fighter he knows well after having trained alongside him and sparred occasionally. “The Damage” has a ton of respect for is fellow Illinois resident, but the determination to restart the six-fight winning streak that ended with his loss to Volkanovski is too strong for him to think about “The Bully” in friendly terms.

“He’s a great fighter, he’s been at the top for a long time, and this is a fight that is going to be a great fight to watch,” Elkins said. “He’s exciting to watch, he comes forward and throws down, and I do the same thing. This is a fight I’ve been looking forward to for a long time, and I am just excited to come here and put on a show and do my thing.”

Facing a Latino fighter in South America (Lamas has Cuban and Mexican blood) will add a special challenge to Elkins, but he’s confident that he will make the most out of this perceived disadvantage.

“If you look at the odds, I am like the underdog in a lot of my fights, and I win most of those fights. When you put me against the fans, that’s when I am most deadly. That’s when I want to bite back,” said Elkins, when asked to factor in the weight of the crowd during the fight. “I expect the fans to be on his side. I am sure he’s going to come out and get a big cheer, maybe they’ll boo me a little bit, but I feed off of negative energy, positive energy. I mean, I prefer negative energy. That pumps me up a little bit more, actually. If I am the bad guy, I am OK being the bad guy.”

The game plan he expects to employ reflects this leave-no-stone-unturned approach on his road to recovery.

“I got to mix it up, man. I gotta keep him guessing, I have to wrestle him, use jiu-jitsu, I really need to mix it up well and keep Lamas guessing,” Elkins said. “I know what he does well, and he knows what I do well, so it should be exciting.”

With a defeat being a real possibility in this toss-up, Elkins insists that the mere mention of the subject only inspires him further.

“This is a sport that has ups and downs, and when I am down that’s when I fight at my best. I hate losing, and I go right back to the gym and start fixing things. You got to forget those losses, but you got to remember what happened and work on the things that were wrong, and that’s what I think you’re going to see on Saturday. I think I am going to show what’s up.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 140, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.