Darren Till is looking to make a statement at UFC 282. The London native will return to the octagon against No.13 ranked welterweight Dricus Du Plessis on Dec.10.
The 29-year-old has been riddled with injuries over the past few years. He was originally scheduled to face Jack Hermansson in London at UFC Fight Night 208. A knee injury forced him to pull out of the fight at the 02 Arena. It was the second time that the matchup was canceled and Till’s fourth withdrawal in his last five bookings.
Darren Till Wants To Return Smarter And Stronger
After a year-long layoff and many injuries, Till is looking to bounce back from recent setbacks.
“[My body’s] good as it can be,” Till told The MacLIfe. “I just got to be smart with my movements and get the good rounds in and treat my body right.”
Till has lost four of his last five bouts. Over the previous four years, he has had losses against notable talents like Robert Whitaker, Jorge Masvidal and Tyron Woodley. His last appearance came against Derek Brunson in a losing effort in 2021. With a win over Du Plessis, Till could place his name higher in the welterweight rankings.
“I think [Dricus Du Plessis’s] tough,” Till said. “I swear, I’m just gonna come to rip this guy’s head off…I want to beat him bad, I really do but we’ll see.”
Du Plessis (17-2) is a rising contender in the welterweight division. The South African native is on a five-fight win streak. He’s gone 3-0 since his arrival in the UFC with wins over Brad Tavaras, Trevin Giles and Markus Perez.
Till believes he can bounce back from the rough patch in his fight career. He’s confident that he can compete amongst the best in the division, with reference to his 2020 bout against Robert Whitaker. Although he lost the fight, Till went toe-to-toe with the former champion in five rounds.
“Look at what Whitaker just done to Vettori,” Till said. “My fight with Whitaker, I know I can be one of the best.”