Darren Till Shrugs off Title Talks

Till recently renewed his contract with the UFC and revealed how soon his return to the Octagon appears. He currently shares training camps with Khamzat Chimaev, after the Swedish fighter offered to help him rediscover his form.

Till’s UFC Journey

Till made his debut in the promotion on a nine-day notice in 2015 and went on an impressive course going unbeaten in his first six fights, including wins against big names in Stephen Thompson and Donald Cerrone. His explosive rise to the top earned him a title shot against the then welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley, in 2018.

The 29-year-old lost the title bout after being submitted by Tyron Woodley and declared that it was his last fight in the division. He stated his displeasure at fighting in the welterweight division after persistent weight cut issues and opted for the middleweight division. Till, however, found it hard to return to winning ways since his switch to the 185 pounds division, winning just once in his last five.

He has been unable to replicate the form which earned him a title shot in the earlier days of his career. Despite the current champion, Israel Adesanya, declaring his interest in taking on the Liverpudlian, he believes he is way down the queue and has to battle his way up to earn a shot. In a recent interview, Till conceded to being far away from the title talks and outlined his to-do list to bring himself back to the limelight.

“I feel like Adesanya"s a long way off. I feel like I"ve got to just get a few wins under my belt and prove how good I am to the people again, you know. Obviously, as soon as I get the title fight and win it"s just like the sky"s the limit and then it"s like the possibilities are endless [but until then] I"ve just got to work hard and stay humble and get there, you know, and do the right things by myself"- Till stated. 

What"s Next?

Darren Till is yet to return to the Octagon after his last fight in September where Derek Brunson submitted him. Heading into the contest, Till claimed to have an ACL injury and has since undergone a recovery process. He has previously expressed his interest in headlining the UFC event in his hometown set to take place in July but uncertainty still surrounds his return.

“Of course, yeah. Main event in Liverpool, take over the show, that"s me," Till said, raising more concerns over his return date.

He is currently training with Chimaev’s camp, and it would be interesting to see how much influence Chimaev’s camp has had on the Englishman when he returns to the Octagon. A top-ten fight has to be in the works for the Englishman, as he has proven that he is going to be a contender for a long time.

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