Former UFC welterweight title challenger Darren Till will still be making his combat sports return next month.
Since departing mixed martial arts’ leading promotion following a defeat to then-future middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis, which left him 1-5 across six fights since a main event win over Stephen Thompson, “The Gorilla” hasn’t been too active outside the cage.
His return came this past July in Dubai, where he faced Mohammad Mutie in an exhibition boxing match. The bout ended controversially after some rabbit punches to the back of Mutie’s head saw him choose not to continue, sparking a brawl with the Liverpudlian.
Months later, it was announced that Till would be kicking off his 2025 in a more high-profile spot, headlining the Misfits Boxing event on Jan. 18 against Tommy Fury. But “TNT,” who has already boxed both Jake Paul and KSI, withdrew recently due to fears of Till engaging in MMA tactics — a threat the former UFC star made at the press conference.
While that left Till’s status on the card uncertain, a replacement opponent has been confirmed. The promotion announced Sunday that ex-Bellator fighter and Misfits veteran Anthony Taylor will step in to face “The Gorilla” at Manchester’s Co-op Live.
The main event will be contested at heavyweight for a maximum of eight rounds.
New main event CONFIRMED
Anthony Taylor steps in to face Darren Till in Manchester, January 18th while Wade takes on Masai Warrior
@MF_DAZNXSeries | @KickStreaming | @PrimeHydrate pic.twitter.com/REaqCvvQiS
— Misfits Boxing (@MisfitsBoxing) December 29, 2024
Though Taylor has risen to prominence as part of the influencer boxing game, his combat sports tenure started out with 11 professional outings as a mixed martial artist.
With that in mind, perhaps he’ll be better suited to any “MMA tactics” Till will bring to the ring than Fury.