Darren Till sparred Tyson Fury (Image: MTK MMA)
Ex-UFC title contender Darren Till has boasted he took down ‘easily’ in a sparring session, despite the Gypsy King being a two-time heavyweight boxing champion. Till, at 31 and following a loss to UFC middleweight champ Dricus du Plessis in December 2022, is now venturing into the professional boxing ring.
He triumphed over Mohammad Mutie by TKO in an earlier exhibition match this year and is poised to make his official boxing debut against , Tyson’s younger sibling. Fury, fresh off his win over YouTube sensation KSI last year, will clash with Till on January 18 at Manchester’s Co-Op Live.
Fury expressed his excitement for the match, stating: “It feels great to finally say that I am back! I have been out of the ring far too long.” Adding further, he shared: “I’ve been getting itchy knuckles so I am thrilled to be able to announce my return, headlining a massive event in my hometown and in front of my fans. Till had a good UFC career but he’s stepping into the boxing ring now, against a proper pro, and he will quickly realise that he is out of his depth and this is not the game for him. I plan on dealing with Till in conclusive fashion and then chasing even bigger fights in 2025.”
During the press conference to launch the fight, Till repeatedly mentioned Tyson’s name, emphasising his previous sparring sessions with ‘The Gypsy King. ‘ In a chat with Norske Bettingsider, the 31 year old reminisced about sparring with the heavyweight star in 2019.
“It was just tongue in cheek, and it’s on YouTube. You can see me and him sparring. We’re just having a little mess around, but I go for the takedown, and, you know, obviously just take him down easily,” he said. “So if I can take Tyson down, I can definitely take little John down and Tommy, can’t I? Here’s the thing. I’m a realist. Nobody in that press conference was a threat to me-not John, not Tommy. Because if I want to turn, and I turn, and if someone punches me, I’ll kick them in the face. I will.”
Tommy Fury clashed with Darren Till (Image: Getty)
“I can get my leg up as quick as a jab. I’ll kick them in the face, take them down, and then they’re in a world of trouble. People like to laugh and joke, ‘Oh, Till got taken down by Driccus Du Plesis’, he’s the current UFC middleweight champion. I have only ever been beaten by the best fighters on planet earth. Nobody who’s not the best can beat me. And I have beat the best. Let’s not get it twisted out here about what my caliber of fighting IQ level is. I never, ever lost outside the UFC.
“Not in Brazil, not in England, not anywhere. There’s only a few people who are capable of that s***. Things got a little heated at the press conference after John Fury began squirting water at Till, triggering a scuffle as both fighters attempted to get at the other. However, the pair were kept separate and the situation was eventually de-escalated.
Tensions flared at the press conference when John started spraying water at Till, sparking a brief altercation as the two fighters tried to confront each other. Fortunately, they were kept apart and the situation was calmed. Speaking about Fury Sr, Till commented: “He’s entertaining. He’s never going to do anything he says. We know his threats are empty. My threats are certainly not empty, you know. I’m ready at any time. I really am. He obviously knows boxing.”
Till acknowledged Fury Sr’s boxing expertise, saying: “He’s got good knowledge. He’s got Tyson. I can’t sit here and discredit them in that way. They know a hell of a lot more about boxing than me. He’s obviously got his son’s best interest at heart. Just the fact that Tommy has to bring his dad everywhere with him-I’m not into that, no. But it’s a gimmick. It works. Fair play. Do what you’re doing.”