Darren Till, a former UFC title challenger, frequently faces questions about a potential fight with Mike Perry, despite the many other possible opponents available to him.
The two fighters have engaged in a public war of words via interviews and social media, yet a fight between them has never been officially scheduled. Till hopes to change this narrative soon but admits certain details still need to be resolved before he can step into a ring against Perry.
“I think we both do want to fight each other,” Till told MMA Fighting. He expressed frustration with Perry`s manager, Malki Kawa, stating he needs to “sort your shit out.” Till added, “I’d love for it to happen. I think it’s going to happen at some point because we’re both there all the time.” Perry`s promotion, BKFC, extended a financial offer to Till, which he described as “good money,” though he wasn`t certain it was sufficient.
He would “love to fight him towards the end of this year,” acknowledging that weight would be a key factor since he is “the bigger guy.”
Till and Perry`s history goes beyond public exchanges; they have previously sparred together. This past interaction may contribute to the current animosity, as Till claims he significantly outperformed Perry during those sessions and believes it might still bother him. “I’ve never really talked about our sparring but he likes to talk about sparring. I punched him from pillar to post,” Till stated. Despite the rivalry, he spoke positively about Perry as a “good guy” and “family man,” expressing happiness for his success.
When the prospect of a fight first arose, Perry revealed that BKFC offered Till a substantial sum for a bare-knuckle bout. While Till desires the fight, he admitted that bare-knuckle isn`t his preferred format, partly due to not wanting facial damage (mentioning a recent street fight scar). However, he is willing to consider bare-knuckle under a specific condition: he proposed a two-fight offer, starting with a boxing match where he anticipates a knockout victory, followed by the bare-knuckle contest. He noted the need for strong defense in the latter.
The two-fight offer includes boxing and bare-knuckle, but what about the sport where they both made their name? Long before Till`s current focus on boxing and Perry`s rise in BKFC, both were mainstays in the UFC.
Till hasn`t forgotten his MMA origins, particularly because fans regularly inquire about his return. He reflected on his impact in MMA, acknowledging the continued support from fans despite his past losses and recognizing that he shouldn`t be overly critical of himself.
Till left the UFC after three consecutive defeats but the idea of returning to his former promotion is never far from his mind. While currently enjoying professional boxing, he remains connected to MMA and hopes his future path leads back to the UFC.
He addressed common perceptions, asserting that he trains “f*cking hard,” possibly even overtraining in his MMA days, a point supported by Tom Aspinall. He mused that the motivation might not always feel the same, especially with his success in business and entrepreneurship outside fighting (including a company partnered with the UFC), but ultimately believes the “fire” to return will be there. “Because I do want to go back,” he affirmed. “We’ll see.”
Despite past losses, Till remains confident in his ability to compete with the UFC`s best, especially in striking exchanges. His move to boxing stems from this belief that he holds the advantage whenever standing and trading blows.
He argued that in his UFC career, apart from Jorge Masvidal, “no one could really beat me” on the feet, listing several opponents he felt he outstruck even in defeats (Robert Whittaker, Stephen Thompson, Donald Cerrone, Kelvin Gastelum, Derek Brunson, Dricus du Plessis). He attributes his losses primarily to grappling, calling striking his “forte” and emphasizing that anyone who strikes with him must be exceptionally skilled, regardless of whether they are a boxer or another type of fighter.
Marcus Blakely