Darren Till is taking some time off to refocus and reset following a stunning second round knockout loss to Jorge Masvidal at UFC Fight Night in London last weekend.
Following a strong opening round, Till got blasted by a massive right hand from Masvidal that separated him from consciousness and sent him crash landing down to the canvas.
Till had gone undefeated through the first 18 fights of his career but he’s now suffered back-to-back losses with a submission courtesy of former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and now this knockout from Masvidal.
On Friday, Till released his first statement regarding the fight with Masvidal as he looks to get back on a winning track when he returns to action next.
“Last Saturday was a tough night against a strong opponent [Jorge Masvidal]. Fight game is a tough one,” Till wrote on Instagram. “Few things need refocusing now, feel like I lost me self the past year & haven’t been fully focused to my craft!
“I’ve had a week in this amazing place Canada to revitalize with my thoughts! I’ll be back a different animal, Team Kaobon is still the best coach & person in this world & we will dominate for years to come. Cannot wait to be back at the gym Monday evolving and focusing like never before. I owe it to myself!”
The latest loss that Till suffered knocked him back to No. 7 in the rankings, dropping four spots from his previous position.
Prior to those back-to-back defeats, Till had proven to be one of the toughest outs in the welterweight division while earning a perfect 17-0-1 record including wins over Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.
While he didn’t define a timeline for his return, Till certainly sounds motivated to get back on track when he books his next UFC fight later this year.