Darren Till has identified four opponents he wishes to face in the boxing ring before making a potential return to the UFC with aspirations of winning a world title.
Although his recent record in the UFC wasn`t the best, the Liverpool native consistently competed at the top of the middleweight and welterweight divisions. His final fight was a thrilling contest against Dricus Du Plessis, a bout many felt he was winning before being submitted in the third round.
Dricus Du Plessis has since become a formidable champion. Following their fight, Till chose to step away from the sport temporarily and is now focusing on boxing, headlining the upcoming Misfits Boxing event in Derby this Friday, live on DAZN.
Till`s Four-Fighter Boxing Wishlist
Darren Till finally made his Misfits Boxing debut in January`s main event in Manchester. However, his initial opponent, Tommy Fury, withdrew, reportedly fearing Till might use head kicks if losing.
Instead, he faced Bellator veteran Anthony Taylor, securing a six-round knockout victory. His next challenge is fellow former UFC fighter Darren Stewart in the Misfits 21 main event, a fight previously scheduled for the KSI vs Dillon Danis undercard in March but cancelled.
Looking beyond his upcoming fight, Till plans to target significant names. In an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow, he revealed his four desired opponents: “I think it comes down to Jake Paul, Tommy Fury, KSI and Mike Perry for me,” he stated.
He added, “I think I’d love to fight Jake and KSI, those are big money fights. I’d love the Tommy fight after what he’s done and I think the Mike Perry fight then and I’d probably go off, que sera sera and depending on things in MMA I might try my hand at the PFL or if the UFC want me back then let’s see what happens.”
Planning a Comeback to MMA
Once his boxing stint concludes, Darren Till has clearly expressed his intention to return to mixed martial arts competition. He acknowledged that past knee issues and a lack of motivation affected his later career, but he appeared revitalized in his knockout win over Taylor after a break.
“I’m not too old in the sport, my body’s not broken even though I’ve obviously had trouble with my knees but I’m fresh,” he told Bloody Elbow. “I don’t feel like I have any case of that CTE, I pronounce my words properly, I’ve got a solid brain on myself even though I know I say some mad things sometimes.”
He clarified that saying “mad things” is part of his “public persona,” adding, “obviously I’m a mad c— but I don’t think I have any early signs of CTE, or I hope not. So I might go back.”
However, it`s not only the UFC showing interest in his potential return; Till has also engaged in discussions with the PFL.
“I’ve spoke to the PFL and I like the way they do their organization,” he continued. “I would actually love a bash at it. It just depends then if the UFC would have me back after that, I don’t know. I think I still have a few years left in me.”
Darren Till is scheduled to face Darren Stewart in the main event of Misfits & DAZN X-Series 21 on Friday, May 16. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster, and international viewers can watch as part of the DAZN subscription.
