Darren Till is hoping to avoid a main event booking for his UFC return.
The Darren Till of old would have jumped at the opportunity to headline a UFC event but, after dropping back-to-back defeats to Robert Whittaker and Derek Brunson and going 1-4 in his last five fights, ‘The Gorilla’ is looking to take a step back and avoid the spotlight ahead of his UFC return in 2022.
Till has struggled to find his footing at middleweight since returning to the division in 2019 and would love to test the waters in a three-round fight before he’s thrust into the limelight once again.
“I’ve had like, eight or nine main events now, and we’ve got Tom (Aspinall) from Team Kaobon doing Team Kaobon’s 10th (at UFC London), it’s historical, it’s nice stuff,” Till, who is currently training with Khamzat Chimaev in Sweden, told Michael Bisping during a recent appearance on Believe You Me (h/t MMA News). “But I would love to just have a three-round fight, just open the main card, and just see what it’s like. Every fight I’ve had since Cowboy has just been main event. I understand the UFC, what they see in me is potential and style, but I would love to just get back in there and fight three rounds and get comfortable again, be Darren Till.”
“I swear to God, years ago, you can speak to my coach, I thought I was fucking indestructible. I used to say I can’t be killed, I can’t be beaten. I know I’ve still got that deep down inside me. I just need to find it again and be comfortable again.”
Till was last seen in action this past September at UFC Fight Night 191 where he was submitted by Derek Brunson in the main event. He will look to return to the UFC later this year to take on top-ten middleweight Uriah Hall.
@UriahHallMMA brother brother brother, you just did a interview saying I am scared of you? I jumped up to middleweight and straight off the bat fought 2 of the best middleweights there is in gastelum & Whittaker.
I have never turned a fight down at WW or MW.— D (@darrentill2) February 12, 2022