Former UFC welterweight and middleweight contender Darren Till will be returning to the boxing ring, this time making his professional debut.
Till, who competed unsuccessfully for the 170-pound gold on MMA’s biggest stage, will face Tommy Fury on Jan. 18 in the main event of a Misfits Boxing card at the Co-op Live in Manchester, England.
Ariel Helwani broke the news on social media this weekend.
Till competed in a boxing ring for the first time earlier this year, defeating Mohammad Mutie at an event in Dubai. The bout was infamous for Mutie being ruled unable to continue due to an injury from what appeared to be rabbit shots to the back of the head, but the two continued to brawl after the bout was declared over.
Darren Till To Make Professional Boxing Debut Against Tommy Fury
Till was once a rising English prospect who joined the UFC as an undefeated fighter in 2015. “The Gorilla” went 5-0-1 to start his UFC run, which included wins over Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson.
That earned him a welterweight title shot against Tyron Woodley at UFC 228, which the Scouser lost via second-round submission.
Till went on to get knocked out by Jorge Masvidal in upset fashion, marking the start of “Gamebred’s” sudden rise to superstardom. The Brit then rebounded with a decision win over Kelvin Gastelum in his middleweight debut, but he was unable to continue that winning form at 185 pounds.
“The Gorilla’s” UFC run ended with three straight losses against Robert Whittaker, Derek Brunson, and current middleweight champ Dricus Du Plessis.
The 10-0 Fury, meanwhile — the half-brother of former WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury — will be fighting after being inactive throughout 2024. “”TNT” handed Jake Paul his sole boxing loss in February 2023 before a decision win over KSI eight months later.