UFC middleweight Darren Till has suggested he could return to welterweight for “one last hurrah” at 170 pounds.
Till was last in action against Robert Whittaker in 2020. In the UFC Fight Island 3 main event, the former UFC Middleweight Champion secured a unanimous decision victory after the pair went the full 25-minute distance.
Prior to that, Till had debuted at 185 pounds against another former welterweight in Kelvin Gastelum. In what was the 29-year-old’s first bout since his Fight of the Year interim title fight with Israel Adesanya, Gastelum fell to a second consecutive loss after an impressive performance from “The Gorilla” inside Madison Square Garden.
Despite defeating a former title challenger, and putting on a competitive display against one of the world’s best middleweights, Till has left the door open for a potential return to the welterweight division.
During an interview with John Gooden for ESPN MMA, the Liverpudlian was asked why he had to make the move up to 185 pounds. Till answered by suggesting he could still make 170 pounds, and likes the idea of returning to challenge for the division’s title down the line.
“You’ve just seen me…scoffing me meals,” Till joked. “I could probably still make welterweight…I know Usman wants to fight me, Kamaru Usman. I know he’s said that, he’s said that ‘I still wanna fight Till.’ We’ve got a little bit of history, he’s a good guy, sound guy. It’s him and Leon (Edwards) are destined to fight, Leon’s gonna take that title. But why can’t I go down for one last hurrah and see if I can get that strap that I was meant to have in my head…”
Discussing the difference in lifestyle since he decided to move up a weight class following consecutive losses against Tyron Woodley and Jorge Masvidal, Till revealed that he’s now able to think more about his training than his weight cut, which is a luxury he couldn’t afford to take as a welterweight.
“It was the lifestyle… It was always more, like, more focused on weight than training. I think I just outgrew welterweight a little bit too much, like, my leg shape and, you know, I’m a big guy up top as well. I just outgrew it a little bit,” added Till. “So, instead of the rigorous cuts, I’ve done rigorous cuts man, now I don’t even think about the weight cut, I don’t give it a second thought.”
Despite his long layoff, Darren Till has been keeping his name in the headlines thanks to some controversial memes posted on Instagram.
But the Englishman will finally return to action in the main event of UFC Vegas 36 next weekend. On September 4, Till will look to jump a big step closer to a potential title shot with a victory over divisional veteran Derek Brunson.
Do you think Darren Till could ever reach the top of the welterweight division? Or do you think his home is at middleweight?
