"Isn’t really a problem or any of our business is it?" - Darren Till on why he sides with Dana White following recent controversy
Darren Till is siding with Dana White after the UFC president received a ton of criticism for gifting Nelk Boy Kyle Forgeard $250,000 in cash for his birthday.
MMA fans were quick to point out that White just gave away more than the UFC flyweight champion made in his last fight. With fighter pay being such a hot-button topic at the moment, it's unsurprising that White received a ton of backlash. However, UFC middleweight contender Darren Till came to White's defense on Twitter, writing:
"I don't know if it's just me but seeing Dana give his mate a bag of readies for his bday isn't really a problem or any of our business is it? Them Nelk guys he gave the money to always spend their money on Dana so he's making sure they are ok as well. Friends look after friends."
Till has a point in that the Nelk Boys have splashed Dana White with cash in the past. Several months ago, Stephen Deleonardist gave White a custom made van to promote White's liquor brand Howler Head. The cost of the vehicle was reportedly in the range of $300,000.
It's still upsetting for many fans and fighters to see White being so free with the fortune he's made running the UFC when new fighters come into the promotion making $12,000 to show and $12,000 to win.
While Darren Till suggests it's none of our business, it is literally his business, and the business of every other UFC fighter. The UFC's parent company Endeavor relies heavily on the UFC for its impressive profits, and fighters are still only getting roughly 20% of the revenue generated. That's compared to other major league sports that sit closer to 50%.
Uncle @danawhite just gave me $250,000 for my birthday.. https://t.co/noH34JF8zY
Darren Till going through depressed "Tyson Fury moment" after UFC London withdrawl
Darren Till was originally set to face Jack Hermansson in the co-main event of UFC London on July 23. Unfortunately, the Liverpool native was forced to pull out with a leg injury, which he says has left him feeling pretty depressed. In a new Blockparty video, he said:
“I feel like I’m in a Tyson Fury moment. Remember when he said he was going through that depressed stage? I feel like that’s where I’m at now ... Obviously I’m not drinking and taking drugs, that’s not my way, but I still feel like that. I’m not about that new age of, ‘Oh, I’m depressed,’ and mental health, and all of that bulls***, I come from a different era. But it just makes you feel so f***ing low s*** like this, man."
Watch Darren Till's interview with Blockparty below:
Heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury went through a major depressive spell in 2015 after beating Wladimir Klitschko to win the WBA, IBF, WBO, IBO, and Ring heavyweight titles. He turned to heavy drinking and drug use, gained over a hundred pounds, and became suicidal. Boxing associations stripped him of his titles.
Fury pulled himself out of his tailspin and embarked on a comeback in 2018. In 2020, he won the WBC and Ring heavyweight titles and is now rightfully considered a heavyweight great. Hopefully, Till manages similar success and happiness after recovering from his latest injury.