Billy Elekana

Billy Elekana was born in Victorville, California, and bases his career out of Las Vegas, Nevada — one of the premier hubs for professional combat sports training in the United States. Despite occasional mislabeling as Hawaiian, Elekana is a California-born fighter who has carved out his path within the competitive Las Vegas combat sports scene. He competes in the UFC's light heavyweight division, where the weight limit sits at 205 pounds, and has established himself as a rising prospect within that weight class.

The Submission Finish

Elekana's bout at UFC Vegas 110 against Kevin Christian on the preliminary card became one of the more talked-about finishes of the event. Elekana submitted Christian via rear-naked choke at 3:33 of Round 1, with referee Chris Tognoni officiating the contest. The victory marked Elekana's second consecutive UFC win, reinforcing his standing as a legitimate light heavyweight prospect on the rise.

The Officiating Controversy

The finish, however, did not come without significant controversy. During the rear-naked choke sequence, Christian tapped out — a clear and unambiguous signal of submission — yet referee Chris Tognoni failed to stop the fight at that moment. The bout continued, and Christian subsequently lost consciousness before the stoppage was finally called. The missed tap-out drew sharp criticism directed at the officiating and became a focal point of post-event discussion across MMA media.

The Backwards Shorts

Adding an unusual footnote to an already memorable night, Elekana entered the cage wearing his Venum fight shorts backwards. Rather than derailing his performance, the wardrobe mishap became a quirky detail that amplified the story of the fight. Taken together, the backwards shorts, the controversial tap-out miss, and the second straight UFC victory made Elekana's UFC Vegas 110 appearance one of the more distinctive early-career performances in recent light heavyweight history.