Evan “The Phenom”Elder

Evan Elder is an American professional mixed martial artist competing in the UFC’s lightweight division. The UFC currently lists him as active, with Syndicate MMA as his training team. He made his Octagon debut on April 23, 2022, in a welterweight bout against Preston Parsons before returning to lightweight competition.

Elder earned his first UFC victory against Genaro Valdez on July 15, 2023, and later submitted Darrius Flowers in July 2024. On April 26, 2025, he defeated Gauge Young by unanimous decision. The UFC profile identifies his nickname as “The Phenom,” a name associated with his early amateur-fighting career. His listed physical measurements include a height of 5 feet 10 inches and a reach of 72 inches.

Elder describes pressure grappling and the jab as central parts of his approach. UFC’s fighter profile also records that he began training after wrestling in middle school and chose to pursue fighting full time after briefly attending community college. A current UFC profile lists his birthplace as St. Louis, United States, while FightMatrix lists his birth date as April 11, 1997.