How did Darren Till manage to get back in the UFC fan's favor after only one win?
Darren Till was on a steady downward roll. Often, it is exaggerated how simple it is for a fighter to fall out of favor.
The young UFC darling was given a massive push by Dana White and the UFC too early. He got a title shot against then Welterweight Champion, Tyron Woodley. The fight had come way too early and it was obvious to the fans that White was hoping that Till would be able to win the fight and take away the title from Woodley, a Champion that White obviously disliked.
The fans sensed the fact that he had been pushed too far too fast, and they turned on him. When he went in to face Woodley, it was even worse as he was defeated rather badly in the second round. With that loss, things took a downward turn for Darren Till.
His next fight was earlier this year, where he was completely destroyed by Jorge Masvidal, who took him out in the second round, yet again.
This time, the loss was rather difficult for him to take. The fan support that he had grown used to disappeared somewhere down the line and now he was facing a major issue — a complete lack of confidence.
This came out in the worst possible way when he got drunk during his holiday, trashed a hotel, and then stole a cab on the way to the next one. That was the worst that it could get for Till and when he decided to come back to the Octagon, it was at Middleweight.
He entered the Octagon at Middleweight against the man who had been challenging for the title only a fight back, and he was able to take apart and defeat Kelvin Gastelum. The fight was the biggest turning point for him. The fans realised that UFC was no longer pushing Darren Till unrealistically as they had done before.
Now, Till was also acting like himself and not someone who was excessively tough. He called out Yoel Romero and then revealed he was blind drunk when he called the big man out and was regretting it.
The sheer terror he displayed was loved by the fans as this was the natural reaction of a man who suddenly realized that he might have to face a beast of a fighter like Yoel Romero.
Just like that, Darren Till is back in the favor of the fans. Now that Till is no longer acting tough and has revealed himself to be one of them, they are firmly in the corner of the fighter from Liverpool.
If there's a message to be taken by UFC fighters, it is that the fans would love to see these tough big men act like themselves outside the Octagon instead of putting up a facade. Till's attitude was fresh and the fans immediately fell in love with it.
Now, if by chance he has to face Yoel Romero in the future, he is sure to go into battle with a firm following behind him.
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