Darren Till may have had his own boxing business to attend to this past Saturday, but that doesn’t mean he missed out on Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal.
And the verdict?
“I wasn’t impressed, mate,” Till said of his fellow UFC veterans on The MMA Hour. “Just like fluffy hands, just not a lot power. Both look liked they weren’t in no fit physical shape.
“But as I said, Masvidal, I fought, he beat me fair and square, and Diaz, I don’t ever like to diss Diaz too much. I’ve always been a fan since [I was] a kid, I think he’s a G of the sport. He’s one of your real ones. Whether you want it in the ring or outside, he’s that guy, and that’s what I respect. So I wasn’t overly [impressed] with the fight, but at the end of the day, mate, it’s still a big fight and I’d love to get some of that pie.”
Diaz defeated Masvidal via majority decision in the pair’s recent sweet science rematch, using his volume and unrelenting pressure to avenge a prior UFC 244 loss to Masvidal.
Till, 31, had a boxing debut of his own on Saturday. He defeated Mohammad Mutie via second-round TKO at Social Knockout 3 before a chaotic brawl overtook the ring. The entire scene went viral and marked Till’s first combat sports appearance since a December 2022 loss to future UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis in Till’s final octagon bout.
Afterward, Till called for boxing matches with Jake Paul, Tommy Fury, and Mike Perry. He dubbed the trio as “scared cowards” and promised to “f*cking decapitate them” all.
He dismisses any online flak he caught for the callouts as fans not understanding the game.
“This is the circle we’re all in now, whether people like it or not,” Till said. “Jake Paul. I said this before, this makes me laugh so much — sometimes the trolls and other people are like, ‘Oh, you’re begging for a fight with Jake Paul.’ And it’s like, well, wouldn’t you beg for a fight with Jake Paul? Like, he’s the guy. He is that guy, whether you like it or not.
“I will say one thing, I know I would beat Jake Paul, I’d knock him flat out, but the guy trains hard, he’s put a lot commitments [into boxing], he’s put a lot of effort. He’s actually changed a few guys’ lives around him, like Amanda Serrano, stuff like that. So this narrative of. ‘You’re begging for a fight. Oh, you’re an ex-[UFC] guy challenging for the title and you’re begging for a fight’ — wouldn’t you, mate? You’re going to make so much f*cking money. So what you’re telling me is, you wouldn’t do it? This is the world these people [live in].”
When asked for his top pick among that motley crew of choices for his next bout, Till singled in on one familiar name, in particular.
“This is quite mad because it should be Paul, but I just want to smash Perry in,” Till said of the BKFC star. “I just want to get that little midget and just f*cking give it to him. But now, look, Paul’s the guy. Me and Paul will make it [happen].
“But it’s probably Perry. Paul’s there. Masvidal. Tommy Fury’s a huge fight; in the UK, you could do that anywhere. You could do it in Liverpool, you could even do it in Anfield.”
Till once again reiterated his lack of desire to cross over into bare-knuckle boxing and meet Perry in the American’s own domain, but did offer to do a two-fight series with Perry, with the first bout taking place in boxing and the second taking place under the BKFC umbrella.
As for his immediate plans, Till expects to get something on the books soon after landing in the headlines once more with his long-awaited return to combat sports.
“I reckon this week I’ll have something in the works,” Till said. “That’s why I’m going to stay active in the gym, I’m going to try and keep my weight down.”
