Darren Till reveals he told the UFC that he does not want to participate in five-round fights
Darren Till has revealed that he let the UFC know that he doesn't want to compete in a five-round main event matchup next. A welterweight and middleweight veteran, Till has fought in multiple five-round main event bouts in the UFC.
In an interview posted to MMA legend Michael Bisping's YouTube channel, Darren Till opened up about his long-awaited return to the octagon. Till is scheduled to face Dricus du Plessis in a three-round middleweight bout at UFC 282 on December 10th.
Till has lost four of his past five fights and is on a two-fight losing streak. His most recent matchup witnessed him suffer a third-round submission defeat against Derek Brunson in September 2021. Furthermore, injury issues delayed the Liverpudlian's comeback in the ensuing months.
in the works for #UFC282.
The 🦍 returns! 🔥
@darrentill2 promised a comeback in 2023 and he starts off that journey by facing @dricusduplessis 🙌
🏴 Darren Till v Dricus du Plessis 🇿🇦 in the works for #UFC282. https://t.co/vHzw59GqE2
Michael Bisping notably questioned 'The Gorilla' whether returning from his lengthy hiatus has him feeling any extra pressure or if it's just another fight week/fight. Till responded by stating:
"I don't know, just -- If you don't cut no corners, and you give it a 110 percent, and you're true to yourself; there's nothing more you can do, mate. So, that's it. I said to the UFC; I said I don't want another main event. I said I'm sick of doing five rounds. I just wanna get back on my feet. And that's what's came. So, you know, it is what it is, mate."
Moreover, Bisping chimed in by suggesting that he agreed with Till. 'The Count' indicated that while fighting five rounds is a challenge, it's training for a five-round fight that drains a fighter mentally and physically.
Watch Till discuss the topic at 9:20 in the video below:
Chael Sonnen believes five-round fights mess with Darren Till's head
In an edition of Beyond the Fight earlier this year, former UFC star Chael Sonnen addressed Darren Till's 1-4 record in his last five matchups. 'The Bad Guy' alluded to the fact that each of Till's four defeats came in bouts that were scheduled for five rounds.
Darren Till picked one of the hardest fights he could find for his middleweight debut...
And he looked outstanding 🙌
Catch the highlights from The Gorilla's massive bounce-back win over Kelvin Gastelum at #UFC244 https://t.co/95QLc8gYu5
Chael Sonnen emphasized that being booked to compete for five rounds adversely affects Darren Till's mindset. He also referenced Till's lone win in his recent octagon outings, a split decision verdict in a three-round bout against Kelvin Gastelum.
The fight marked Till's return to middleweight. Explaining that possible distractions heading into the three-round matchup against Gastelum helped Till, Sonnen said:
"He [Till] had his mind on five other things. I'm tired, how's this weight class, who's my next opponent, what's gonna happen from here. He was distracted, and he put on what I believe was his best performance. Being distracted is very helpful for certain guys."
Watch Sonnen's assessment at 3:50 in the video below: