Breakout talent Darren Till kept a keen eye on UFC Winnipeg’s welterweight bout between Mike Perry and Santiago Ponzinibbio on Saturday, as the Liverpudlian was hoping to secure a grudge match with ‘Platinum’.
Unfortunately for Till (and Perry), that bout is unlikely to materialize, as Perry dropped a unanimous decision to Ponzinibbio at the Bell MTS Place and will have to re-climb the welterweight ladder.
But Till, 24, isn’t too concerned about the official UFC rankings and would still accept a fight with Perry if the opportunity presented itself.
“I’m still up for the fight, but he’s coming off a loss so obviously, to everyone and the UFC, it doesn’t make much sense,” Till told Ariel Helwani on the latest episode of The MMA Hour, per MMA Fighting’s Peter Carroll.
“As I’ve said in the past, I don’t really care about rankings, so I’m not one to say, ‘just because he’s coming off a loss let’s not fight’.
“I’m still game to fight him, but obviously it’s not really smart matchmaking now because I’m coming off a win and he’s coming off a loss.”
Till’s main focus, though, is former two-time title challenger Stephen Wonderboy Thompson, who rebounded from his championship loss to Tyron Woodley with a win over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 217.
“Maybe Usman or Wonderboy, but I know Usman has a fight so maybe he’s out of the question,” he said. “So maybe Wonderboy, then maybe one more and then a title shot and that’s me – champion.”
Till, who knocked out fan favorite Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone’ this past October at UFC Gdansk, thinks a fight with Wonderboy makes sense for next year’s UFC London event but doesn’t believe Thompson’s ‘Daddy’ will allow it.
“No, his Daddy won’t let him,” Till replied when asked if Thompson would accept the bout.
“I don’t know (why Thompson won’t take the fight). Maybe I have jumped a few spots, but so what? If I am whatever (they say I am), why won’t he just fight me and knock me off my perch? If they think I don’t deserve it then come and show me that I don’t deserve it because I know I do.”
Till, who believes a striking battle against Thompson would cement his position as the best striker in the UFC, is undefeated at 16-0-1 and is currently ranked at No. 7 in the official UFC rankings.
UFC London takes place next year, March 18, at the O2 Arena.
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