Who is Darren Till? Former UFC title challenger announced as Tommy Fury opponent
The 31-year-old Liverpudlian burst onto the scene and made a name for himself in the UFC, but is now scheduled to make his professional boxing debut next year
Tommy Fury is scheduled to take on former UFC welterweight title challenger Darren Till in Manchester on January 18, it has been announced.
The younger brother of boxing icon Tyson Fury hasn't fought since beating YouTuber KSI last year. His previous win came against social media star Jake Paul - who recently defeated Mike Tyson.
Fury confirmed the news on his social media accounts before a press release was shared confirming that Till - who beat Mohammad Mutie by technical knockout on his boxing debut in an exhibition bout - would be taking on 'TNT' at the Co-Op Live in Manchester next year. Speaking on the fight, Fury said: "It feels great to finally say that I am back! I have been out of the ring far too long.
"I've been getting itchy knuckles so I am thrilled to be able to announce my return, headlining a massive event in my hometown and in front of my fans. Till had a good UFC career but he's stepping into the boxing ring now, against a proper pro, and he will quickly realise that he is out of his depth and this is not the game for him. I plan on dealing with Till in conclusive fashion and then chasing even bigger fights in 2025."
As for Till, the Liverpudlian simply said: "January 18 is my time, my night." The 31-year-old will be making his professional boxing debut, and it's fair to say that he's come a long way since making his MMA debut over a decade ago. Here, Mirror Fighting takes a look at Till's career.
Born in Liverpool, Till began training in Muay Thai at the age of 12 before properly focusing on the sport two years later. By 17, he began to train in MMA with Team Kaobon. In his teenage years, the Brit was sent to Brazil by his coach, Colin Heron. Till suffered a near-death experience after being stabbed in a nightclub fight.
Speaking on the experience, Till told ESPN back in 2018 : "I was kicked out of school and my mum was on my case to get a job. I didn't care if I didn't make a career and a huge amount of money, I just wanted to do what I really liked. I was training a lot but mixing with the wrong crowd. I was in a nightclub and I got stabbed, I spent time in the hospital, chatted with my coach [who told me] 'if you want to continue fighting you've got to get focused'.
"If the knife had hit the nerve -- it was 1mm away -- I'd have bled to death. It hasn't made me the guy I am today, it just showed me that life can be taken away from you really quickly. Back then, it could have been my night to die there. Coach Colin said 'go there and when the time is ready I'll tell you to come back'. I just believe everything he says, so I went the week later. 'Go to Brazil [he said] and let's see what can happen'. He trusted me to come back a UFC fighter."
Many fighters are known to make a lot of sacrifices in a bid to reach the pinnacle of the sport. However, after moving from the UK to Brazil for more than three years, Till's route was a lot more challenging. That said, the 31-year-old moved to South America in a bid to add to his toolbox, particularly his grappling and believes he was better for it.
Till spent most of his early MMA career in Brazil under the guidance of Astra Fight Team. He enjoyed a glittering amateur career in the UK before moving to South America, turning professional in 2013. The Brit went 12-0 (10 finishes) - mainly competing in Brazil and Argentina - before signing with the UFC in 2015.
After knocking out Wendell de Oliveira on his debut, Till then defeated the likes of Jessin Ayari and Bojan Velickovic before knocking out MMA legend Donald Cerrone - which truly put his name on the map. He was then fast-tracked to a clash with Stephen Thompson, a welterweight legend and former title challenger, in 2018. Till secured the biggest victory of his career that night, winning via unanimous decision. The contest was marred by Till's failure to make weight. That said, he was then offered a crack at the title against Tyron Woodley later that year. The Liverpool native suffered the first defeat of his professional career that night and was then knocked out by Jorge Masivdal on home soil. The loss prompted Till to move up to middleweight in 2019. A win over Kelvin Gastelum on his 185lb debut in the UFC was his last victory inside the cage. He then suffered defeats to Robert Whittaker, Derek Brunson and Dricus du Plessis.
Last year, Till was released by the UFC after eight years with the MMA promotion. In a statement put out on X - formerly known as Twitter - Till said: "What's happening everyone, Me, Dana (White) & Hunter (Campbell) are still cool as f***. I asked UFC 2 remove me just 2 sort some other s*** for the foreseeable. They happily agreed to release me out of contract which I appreciate. I'm not going anywhere, got big plans to execute & I'll be back."
In an interview with The MMA Hour in October 2023, the 31-year-old explained his UFC exit. “What happened is, I lost me fight [against Du Plessis], I spoke to Hunter [Campbell, UFC Chief Business Officier], he said to me, ‘Till, I still believe you’ve got the tools. You just need a little bit of rearranging.’ I said, ‘Hunter, give me some time to think what I want to do with the future, because I’m still young.’ Which, I know I am. I’ve still got me prime years in me. He said OK. I flew off to Thailand, had a good long think, and I said, ‘Hunter, can I have some time away from the UFC to get s*** in order? Stop fighting, worrying about paychecks and this and that and injuries. Can I?’
“I’ve always had the most straight relationship with Dana [White] and Hunter. I’ve said what I’ve thought and I’ve always been straight with them. I’ve never come out in the media and slagged them once. OK, sometimes you’ll talk about fighter pay and this and that, but if I’ve ever had a problem, I’ve always said it directly to Dana. And that’s the approach I had with them, and the approach they give me back. They said, ‘Till, we’re behind you because you’ve always been that way with us and we’ll be like that with you.’ I said, ‘Thank you, Hunter. When I’m good and ready, you’ll see me back in the UFC.’ Because it’s not money that drives me. I just want to be a good f****** fighter. And I know in the past I’ve said I want to be great, but I’ve got to get back to being good first. That’s what it was. I just wanted some time away. Time away from pressure just to think. And obviously, all this boxing malarkey has come along now ... and we’re going to have a stab at this for the next two, three years, maybe. That’s just the way it was.”
With a dream of pursuing other interests, Till was scheduled to make his professional boxing debut against Mexican former WBC middleweight boxing champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr on the Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson undercard earlier this year in a six round cruiserweight bout. However, due to a health issue with 'Iron Mike', the event was postponed. That said, the Liverpool star fought Palestinian mixed martial artist Mohammad Mutie on July 6 in an exhibition boxing bout at Social Knockout 3 in Dubai. Till was awarded victory by technical knockout in the second round despite a punch landing on the back of Mutie's head.
Once his stint in boxing has run its course, Till sees himself finishing his journey back where he started it, inside the cage. “Yes. 100 percent,” Till said when asked if he’ll fight in the UFC again. “I want to go back to MMA, obviously. A few years down the line, get back and make another f****** run at it. I want make a lot of money, but in the UFC it wouldn’t be about the money. I want to make some good f****** fights in there again. That’s what I want to do.”
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