Darren Till once seemed destined to wear the UFC welterweight championship. When he finally got his shot at then champion Tyron Woodley to say the Englishman under performed would be an understatement. It was a brutal knockout at the hands of Jorge Masvidal that later prompted a move from welterweight up to middleweight to test the waters.
The waters were tested for sure. They fed him immediately to a shark.
Till took on Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 244 in November of last year and to the surprise of many he squeaked out a split decision. If there was a gate keeper at 185 pounds it would be Gastelum and he carries a big stick. Darren opened that gate and he is now facing one of the best fighters in the division in former champion Robert Whittaker.
Darren eluded to the fact that recovering from such a brutal knockout loss was a big challenge for him. An even bigger challenge will be not only beating but finishing Robert and proving that he does deserve a spot at the top of the rankings. His split decision victory did nothing to help prove the naysayers wrong and a strong showing might finally silence them. Probably not. You know how we mixed martial arts fans are. Fickle and forgetful.
Before he takes on Robert this weekend on Fight Island go back and watch Darren’s middleweight debut.