Darren Till, a former contender for the UFC title, is frequently asked about a potential bout with Mike Perry, despite having numerous other fight options. 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 this changes soon but admits there are still details to finalize before he can step into the ring against Perry. “I think we both do want to fight each other,” Till commented, mentioning some friction with Perry`s manager. He expressed a strong desire for the fight to happen and believes it will eventually, given their continued presence in the combat sports world. Till acknowledged receiving a good financial offer from Perry`s promotion but wasn`t sure if it was sufficient. He aims for the fight to occur by the end of the year, noting that agreeing on weight will be important as he is the larger fighter.
Their history isn`t limited to verbal exchanges; they`ve previously sparred. Till suggests this past training session, where he claims he dominated Perry (“I punched him from pillar to post”), might be the source of some lingering animosity, implying it still affects Perry. Despite the rivalry, Till stated he likes Perry as a person, calling him a “good guy” and a “family man” who has achieved financial success, expressing happiness for him.
When discussions about booking the fight began, Perry revealed his BKFC promoters made Till a lucrative offer for a bare-knuckle contest. While Till wants the fight, he readily admits bare-knuckle isn`t particularly appealing to him, primarily due to concern for facial damage, despite past experience in street fights. However, he`s willing to compromise on one condition: he would agree to a bare-knuckle fight *after* they compete in a boxing match first. “If we have a fight in boxing… we do it in the bare-knuckle,” he clarified, emphasizing his desire to protect his face and the need for good defensive skills.
Till`s proposal is thus for a two-fight series encompassing both boxing and bare-knuckle. This brings up their shared origins in MMA, the sport where both gained prominence before Till transitioned to boxing and Perry became a major BKFC star. Till hasn`t forgotten his MMA roots, largely because fans constantly remind him. Despite being a private person who experiences social anxiety, he`s frequently stopped and asked about returning to the UFC. This has led him to question the extent of his impact in MMA, feeling he sometimes downplays it due to previous losses but acknowledging that fan support indicates a significant connection.
Till left the UFC after three consecutive defeats but the idea of returning to the octagon is never far from his mind. While he`s currently enjoying his venture into professional boxing and is also involved in businesses (one of which has partnered with the UFC canvas), he remains dedicated to training. He admitted that in his MMA days, he likely overtrained. A potential return depends on his continued motivation (“fire”) for competing, which he feels will likely remain. “Because I do want to go back. We’ll see,” he stated.
Despite past losses, Till is confident he can still compete with the best in the UFC, particularly in striking. This confidence in his stand-up game was a key factor in his move to boxing, as he believes he always has the advantage when trading blows with an opponent. He listed several past UFC opponents (Robert Whittaker, Stephen Thompson, Donald Cerrone, Kelvin Gastelum, Derek Brunson, Dricus du Plessis) whom he feels he outstruck, excluding Jorge Masvidal as an exception. Till concluded by noting his defeats typically came via grappling, reiterating that striking is his specialty and anyone who stands and trades with him needs to be highly skilled.
