Tag: Darren Till

UFC middleweight contender Darren Till believes fighters should be compensated better by the promotion as well as Reebok.

Although Till is one of the bigger and more popular stars in the UFC, he still feels he could be earning a bigger piece of the pie. In a recent Q&A, the Liverpool native went into more detail on the matter while keeping his cards close to his chest:

“Stuff between me and the UFC, like let’s say stuff between me and Dana [White] is between me and Dana – you know, personal stuff,” Till said (via MMA Fighting). “But this is probably one thing that I will come out and say: I do believe MMA fighters should be paid some more money. I’m not talking saying [we deserve] millions and trillions, a billion – whatever – just what they’re worth, a nice piece of the pie.

“I was selling out everywhere for the UFC, a big star on the roster and it’s nice to get a cut of the pie, so not to worry about so much stuff. People think, ‘This fighter is earning so much per fight,’ but if a fighter doesn’t have sponsors…See me? I’m the sort of what-you-get-is-what-you-see type of guy, so that scares a lot of sponsors off, but it also attracts sponsors – it’s sort of like a Marmite type of thing. I’ve lost sponsors and gained sponsors through it.”

Compared to other sports, fighters don’t earn a monthly salary and are reliant on their fight night purses and sponsors. Whatever they do earn from a fight also has to last until their next fight.

And given the sacrifices they put their bodies through, “The Gorilla” ultimately feels the UFC and Reebok should pay more to the fighters — even if that’s something Till would rather speak to Dana White about personally.

“If I’m earning however much for a fight, that has to last until the next fight. Then, I don’t know if I’m going to get injured…that has to last,” Till added. “I’m a guy who likes to spend money: I like to eat food, a lot food, I like to buy watches, I like a nice car, clothes – I’ve earned that right, I’ve put my body through a lot. This is a new set of teeth for a reason – I had teeth but they got knocked out. I’m deaf in [one] ear, I’ve got bad knees, I won’t be able to walk properly in a few years, [my] hand is permanently destroyed. I’ve earned that right.

“I do believe that Reebok should pay more and the UFC should pay a little more, but that’s not a thing I like to talk big on, openly. I’d rather have that conversation with Dana man to man, but that’s where I am with that.”

What do you make of Till’s comments?

UFC middleweight contender Darren Till believes fighters should be compensated better by the promotion as well as Reebok.

Although Till is one of the bigger and more popular stars in the UFC, he still feels he could be earning a bigger piece of the pie. In a recent Q&A, the Liverpool native went into more detail on the matter while keeping his cards close to his chest:

“Stuff between me and the UFC, like let’s say stuff between me and Dana [White] is between me and Dana – you know, personal stuff,” Till said (via MMA Fighting). “But this is probably one thing that I will come out and say: I do believe MMA fighters should be paid some more money. I’m not talking saying [we deserve] millions and trillions, a billion – whatever – just what they’re worth, a nice piece of the pie.

“I was selling out everywhere for the UFC, a big star on the roster and it’s nice to get a cut of the pie, so not to worry about so much stuff. People think, ‘This fighter is earning so much per fight,’ but if a fighter doesn’t have sponsors…See me? I’m the sort of what-you-get-is-what-you-see type of guy, so that scares a lot of sponsors off, but it also attracts sponsors – it’s sort of like a Marmite type of thing. I’ve lost sponsors and gained sponsors through it.”

Compared to other sports, fighters don’t earn a monthly salary and are reliant on their fight night purses and sponsors. Whatever they do earn from a fight also has to last until their next fight.

And given the sacrifices they put their bodies through, “The Gorilla” ultimately feels the UFC and Reebok should pay more to the fighters — even if that’s something Till would rather speak to Dana White about personally.

“If I’m earning however much for a fight, that has to last until the next fight. Then, I don’t know if I’m going to get injured…that has to last,” Till added. “I’m a guy who likes to spend money: I like to eat food, a lot food, I like to buy watches, I like a nice car, clothes – I’ve earned that right, I’ve put my body through a lot. This is a new set of teeth for a reason – I had teeth but they got knocked out. I’m deaf in [one] ear, I’ve got bad knees, I won’t be able to walk properly in a few years, [my] hand is permanently destroyed. I’ve earned that right.

“I do believe that Reebok should pay more and the UFC should pay a little more, but that’s not a thing I like to talk big on, openly. I’d rather have that conversation with Dana man to man, but that’s where I am with that.”

What do you make of Till’s comments?

Darren Till believes people need to stop posting only positives on social media.

The UFC middleweight contender is one who posts funny memes, and recently showed off his belly he has gotten while in quarantine. It helps give everyone a laugh which he says is what everyone should do, as no one’s life is perfect.

“People only want to broadcast the positivity on social media, which is fine by me. I think there should be more positive than negative, and I do get a lot of negatives,” Till said on ESPN MMA’s Instagram Live (via MMA Junkie). “But in your life, do not make your life out to be perfect. Do not make yourself out to have this and have that and be doing this and all of this as if your life is the greatest.”

Why Till thinks people need to post negative stuff on social media is given the fact people who are less fortunate think their lives are worse.

“I see people, girls and boys, getting depressed because they’re comparing their own lives to these people’s lives,” Till said. “I don’t want to directly attack anyone, but bloggers and influencers and famous celebrity people, they’re coming across with this great life. They’ve got lots of money, the best watches, they’re always away, they’re eating the best food and all of that. But, at the end of the day, it’s all (expletive).

“I’ve been a poor man, and I’ve been a guy who’s OK financially. There’s no real difference, only that you can enjoy pleasures that you can buy yourself a buggy, buying a nice watch, but it’s not what it’s made out to be.”

Darren Till hopes the way he uses social media is something other celebrities can do to show that they aren’t any better than anyone else.

“People could see me on Instagram on the buggy, all chills, having a great time. But I still have my own problems in house, problems with life, as we all do. Posts like pushing my fat belly, that’s real life. That’s what every fighter’s doing. They’re sat there, they’re bored, they’re eating (expletive). They are still training, but everyone sees me training all the time anyway. … So I’m going to post what else I’m doing. I’m on the buggy, nearly dying, I’m eating so much (expletive), watching (expletive) Netflix while my underpants are all wet – we all know what from. That’s what’s happening. This is the real life.”

What do you make of Darren Till’s thoughts on social media?