It’s been three years since Darren Till’s last fight in the UFC, which was a third-round submission loss to current champion Dricus Du Plessis.
‘The Gorilla’ found new success in influencer boxing, starring in the main event of Misfits: Till vs. Taylor in January 2025. Till debuted with a knockout over Anthony Taylor, marking the highest point in his fighting career since challenging Tyron Woodley for the welterweight crown in 2018.
Till now targets a UFC return, insisting that the current middleweight division is lackluster, and that Du Plessis ‘wasn’t a problem’ when they fought in 2022.
‘I’ve seen the state of the middleweight division’ … Darren Till believes he gave Dricus Du Plessis stiffest test to date
Speaking on the Michael Bisping podcast, Till delved into his UFC comeback plans, the state of the middleweight division, and how he gave Du Plessis a hard fight.
“I do still want to come back to the UFC…” Till remarked. “. . . I’ve seen the state of the middleweight division, I think I can come back. I’m the only guy who really gave the champ any trouble on the feet. Everyone else sort of gets confused by how s— he is.
“. . . He wasn’t a problem for me; the problem for me was a little [injury], and he was a strong dude. But apart from that, especially now with the way I’ve improved my boxing skills, I just don’t think Dricus could beat me.”
How Darren Till vs. Dricus Du Plessis played out
Till fought Du Plessis on the back of a two-fight losing streak, he almost defeated former champion Robert Whittaker on that skid in a closely contested decision.
Du Plessis wasn’t keen on fighting to the final bell, taking Till down early and mauling him with brutal strikes that almost secured a finish. Till reversed the position in the dying seconds and secured some ground strikes.
Throughout round two, Till landed at will with his left cross and left elbow and feinting his punches to land solid knees. However, the grappling disparity was huge, and Du Plessis continued to find himself in advantageous positions, almost securing a foot-lock in the final seconds that had Till in agony.
In round three, Du Plessis committed to his grappling, taking Till down and securing the rear-naked choke finish with ease.
To rematch Du Plessis in the UFC, Till would have to fight back into the rankings and title contention. Some prominent grapplers, like Roman Dolidze, Anthony Hernandez, and Caio Borralho, would stand in his way.