This time a year ago, Liverpool’s Darren Till was flying high.
He was a few weeks removed from a hometown win, albeit a close one, against Stephen Thompson to solidify his status as a top contender at 170-pounds. Following some dithering by Colby Covington, Till was next awarded a title shot against then-champ Tyron Woodley in September — a fight he would lose by second-round submission.
His rebound, against Jorge Masvidal in London in March, was supposed to be a showcase to display his talents as he climbed the welterweight ladder once again but he found himself several rungs lower when Masvidal ended his night early with a shuddering KO in the second.
What’s next? Several names have been touted. Santiago Ponzinibbio is one, Rafael Dos Anjos is another. Even Mike Perry is hovering.
The UFC don’t quite know yet themselves what will be next for the talented Englishman, just that they will have answers soon.
“He’s a great kid! I still think he has an incredibly bright future.”
“Those two don’t like each other, we might have to divide the country with that one!”
Expect news on Darren Till’s next fight very soon 👊🦍 pic.twitter.com/h0GxG0zO6Y
— Watch UFC 239 live on BT Sport Box Office (@btsportufc) June 13, 2019
“We were talking about it today,” he said of Till’s future to BT Sport via BJPenn.com. “We have a big matchmaking meeting tomorrow and that’s one of the things we’re working on.”
Leon Edwards, another surging English welterweight, has campaigned for a bout with Till for months, something White says would be a “massive fight”.
“We talked about that too,” White said. “Those two don’t like each other. We might have to divide the country if we make that fight. I think that’s a massive fight in England.”
For some, Till’s light has dimmed slightly since he exploded onto the scene with a stunning first-round finish of Donald Cerrone in Poland a couple of years back but as far as White is concerned, Darren Till is not going anywhere.
“He’s a great kid and I like him a lot,” he said. “He’s still young, and he’s still learning and still growing. I still think he has an incredibly bright future.”
