It’s been almost five years since Darren Till last fought in MMA. Many might see that as Till’s closing act in the sport, but the former UFC title challenger hopes that’s not the case.
Since resuming his fighting career, following his UFC departure in 2023, Till (18-5-1) has kept busy with other forms of fighting outside MMA. He’s done boxing under Misfits Boxing, and bareknuckle boxing with BKFC. Till not participating in MMA hasn’t been by choice, and it’s not because he’s lost the love for the sport or because he hasn’t gotten interest from MMA organizations. The Englishman simply has been unable to compete due to health issues, something he hopes will change in the near future.
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“I actually don’t think I’m done,” Till told MMA Junkie when asked if he’d ever fight MMA. “I’ve been pondering about it for a while now, and a lot of people are like, ‘Till, you exited when you fought Dricus (Du Plessis) and you nearly beat him, then he went on to be the champ, so you weren’t done with MMA. I don’t know why you left.’ People don’t understand.”This is not me sitting here, because I give kudos to the people I’ve beaten; I’ve beaten them fair and square. I think my record’s like 19-4 or something in MMA, and to the people who beat me, I had such a close fight with Whittaker, but still, he won fair and square. But people don’t realize the severe trauma my body was actually in at that point. I wasn’t really filled out as a middleweight. I wasn’t of the size, and there was just trauma to my knees. I’ve had doctors look at it, and they don’t even think I should be fighting. Like, I have a torn ACL in one and a torn MCL in another, which I haven’t gotten addressed at this point.”
Till’s knee issues are still very much present and have affected his bouts following his UFC career chapter. However, they haven’t been as bothersome, as he doesn’t have to kick or wrestle as he does in MMA.
“I’m still walking around with a torn ACL,” Till said. “After my fight with Luke Rockhold, it actually popped out in the changing rooms. My last fight, last camp, it was good. Now it’s good. I can do everything, movements and stuff. But it is the reality of it. I think once I get those knees done and dusted and I’ve made all my money inside, whether it be the bare knuckle, Misfits Boxing, or whatever, I’m hopeful to go back. It just depends on where my career goes in the next year or two.”
Till is currently scheduled to face fellow ex-UFC middleweight contender Yoel Romero in the main event of BKFC 94 – which takes place on Sept. 26 at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. With a fight with Romero in the wings, and a potential fight with Mike Perry on the horizon – along with other opportunities that may come – Till also thinks there is a world where he never competes in MMA again.
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“I could be at 35 and think, you know what? I’ve made enough money,” Till said. “I don’t need to put myself through that again. But then again, I could have something in me that says, ‘one last run.’ It all depends sometimes on how you feel on the day because our minds change by the day sometimes, especially as fighters. I think it’s just going to come down ultimately to how these next two years go. And yeah, if I’m actually honest with myself, I would actually like to make a return and see how I get on, but I also don’t want to push myself into something that I’m probably not ready for again. So who knows?”
Till had plenty of success in his 10 years fighting in MMA. After going 12-0 in the regional scene in Brazil, Till was signed to the UFC, where he quickly made a splash and became a bright prospect. He went 6-0-1, picking up two stoppage wins and winning two Fight Night bonuses, before getting a shot at then UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley – a fight he lost by submission in 2018. Till then went 1-4 after his title opportunity, with three of those bouts being main events and against notable names such as Jorge Masvidal, Robert Whittaker, and Dricus Du Plessis.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Darren Till hopeful for MMA return: ‘Don’t think I’m done’
