Darren Till will likely fight Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 282 in December. The Liverpool-born fighter has had somewhat of a fall from the elite of the UFC. Since his loss to Tyron Woodley in 2018, Till has only won 1 of his last four bouts. Till has an abundance of skill and even more potential to grow, so can Till return to his former best?
After his crushing loss to Derek Brunson in September 2021, the MMA community seemed to push Darren Till away from the spotlight. The current 9th-ranked middleweight is 1-2 in the 185lb division. However, many believe he still has time to turn his record around and make his claim for the middleweight belt.
At 25, Till found himself already fighting for a UFC championship. Proving the company’s awareness the fighter had the skill and the star power to hold his own amongst the champions.
Best UFC Performances
Since the scouser entered the UFC as an undefeated welterweight, he is had countless high-level performances. Possibly something many forget in recent days is the quality of fighters he has come up against in his Ultimate Fighting Championship. His first big challenge in the company in only his second bout facing an undefeated Nicholas Dalby. Although the fight ended in a draw, both athletes would go on to be formidable opponents to the rest of the welterweight division.
It would be three fights later that he would face the most notable opponent of his career at that point. A bout with Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone. The American made his name in the lightweight division but, at the time, had moved up to 170lbs and found himself ranked 6th. Till was not yet ranked, so the matchup surprised fans. It took Till less than one round to TKO the veteran, stapling his name into the elite welterweights.
Till followed this bout up with a brawl in his own backyard, fighting Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson in the (then called) Echo Arena in Liverpool. The five-round fight showcased Till as being one the best strikers on the planet, even scoring a knockdown on the karate style legend, something very few had done.
After his unfortunate losses, Till decided to make a move to middleweight. A 3-round fight victory over Kelvin Gastelum in Madison Square Garden put Till on track for success at 185lbs. Although it resulted in a loss, the Englishman’s performance against Robert Whittaker is highly regarded as one of the closest fights anyone has ever had with the former middleweight champion.
Injuries and Set-Backs in the UFC
Till has been plagued with injuries and bout cancellations during his time with the UFC. The 29-year-old has had five bouts cancelled during his time at middleweight. The most recent injury came during his training camp for his bout against Jack Hermanson. This was supposed to be the co-main event at UFC London in July of this year.
The scouser told The Independent he believed he was at a low point, adding he felt depressed on the back of his run of injuries. Till has become somewhat of a social media expert in recent years. Whether it is trolling other athletes until they accept his fight requests or making fun of people in comedic and creative ways. Till himself has been the centre of internet trolls in recent times due to having to pull out of fights. Although the memes surrounding him are sometimes rather harsh, the scouser has claimed on multiple occasions the online abuse does not get to him.
Smesh Bros
Sometime after his most recent loss to American wrestler Derek Brunson, Till began to train with the UFC’s newest superstar, Khamzat Chimaev. The most unlikely of friendship was made between the two fighters, for which the media and fans went crazy for.
The ‘Smesh Bros’ wasn’t just a friendship created for fun, however. It began when Darren took himself down to the Allstar gym in Sweden, where the Chechen wrestler resides. Till decided to take himself down to the gym where fighters like Chimaev, Alexander Gustafson and Ilir Latifi have become respective MMA grapplers during their time with the gym.
The friendship continues, with the two getting into all sorts of mischief. As well as Till being involved in Chimaev’s corners for his fights against Gilbert Burns and Kevin Holland.
Looking Ahead
The young Englishman has been around the globe in the time since his last fight. Whether it is in the All-star gym in Sweeden with Khamzat or in the tropical heat of Thailand at Tiger Muay Thai, he is evidently sharpening his skills whilst he awaits his return to the Octagon.
Once back in the win column, many will jump at the chance to fight Till. The middleweight has made enough enemies throughout the 185lbs division. So many that he will have the pick of the lot when they come calling. Till has claimed to have wanted another fight shortly after his first. However, he must not underestimate just how dangerous of an opponent Du Plessis will be.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
