Report: Timeline revealed for Darren Till's much awaited return to the octagon
Darren Till is reportedly set to make his long-awaited return to the octagon. According to ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, a fight between Till and Dricus du Plessis has been verbally agreed to. The matchup is expected to take place at the UFC 282 event on December 10.
Till has won only one of his last five fights and is currently on a two-fight losing streak. ‘The Gorilla’ last faced middleweight mainstay Derek Brunson in September 2021 and lost via third-round submission.
@DerekBrunson calls for a rematch with the champ after submitting Till. #UFCVegas36DOMINATION 😳
💢 @DerekBrunson calls for a rematch with the champ after submitting Till. #UFCVegas36 https://t.co/0q8dzG2z2u
It was later revealed that the UK native was dealing with knee injuries heading into the Brunson matchup. Following that, Till was scheduled to return against middleweight contender Jack Hermansson this July. However, he withdrew from that fight due to an injury as well.
So @darrentill2 your bro @KChimaev is headlining #UFC279, heard you might be looking for a an easy fight to get back in the winner’s circle I’m more than willing to take it on 3 weeks notice or are you retired now?
That said, Till has been working hard towards his comeback. The 29-year-old Till is now expected to face the 28-year-old Dricus Du Plessis in a middleweight bout at UFC 282. Du Plessis, for his part, had recently issued a call-out to Till and it now appears that he's got his wish. Taking to his official Instagram account, ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto posted the following statement regarding Till’s return:
“Darren Till said he’d return before the end of a year, before a monster “comeback” in 2023. The return is in the works. Till vs. Dricus du Plessis verbally agreed for UFC 282 on Dec. 10.”
Darren Till outlines his plan to capture UFC middleweight gold in 2023
In an interview with ESPN MMA earlier this year, Darren Till opened up about training with undefeated UFC welterweight phenom Khamzat Chimaev in Sweden. In addition, ‘The Gorilla’ also outlined his plans to capture the UFC middleweight title in 2023.
Darren Till insinuated that he still has ways to go before returning to his best. Till added, however, that he’s been helping Chimaev prepare for the latter’s welterweight matchup against Nate Diaz. Till has notably been prepping for his own return whilst simultaneously helping Chimaev.
Furthermore, the Muay Thai striking savant hinted that he’ll be facing a fellow middleweight striker in his next octagon outing. Promising to fight twice this year and then make a run at the UFC middleweight belt in 2023, Darren Till said:
“The body's never 100%, but I'm coming back, what I used to be like, healthy and fit and ready to get a world title, get some wins in. Massive fight against one of the best strikers in the division... I'd say in a few months’ time, I'll be ready. I want to have two fights by the end of this year. Two fights, then next year's a big year. The comeback is on.”
Watch Till’s interview below: