Welterweight champion Leon Edwards shows he's all class by sending heartfelt message to struggling Darren Till
UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards recently sent a heartfelt message to his countryman Darren Till after the Scouser's recent struggles in the octagon.
Till was once considered among the top prospects in MMA and rose to star status after back-to-back wins over Donald Cerrone and Stephen Thompson. 'The Gorilla's' victories were rewarded with a title shot against then-welterweight champion Tyron Woodley at UFC 228. The Englishman was outclassed by Woodley and submitted in the second round.
Since his title shot, Darren Till has lost four of his last five fights, which includes a current three-fight skid. The British MMA star has never quite looked the same in the octagon and his recent disappointing performance against Dricus Du Plessis has made some fans question whether or not he should walk away from MMA.
Dricus du Plessis taps out Darren Till in the 3rd round! 👋
#UFC282 https://t.co/Bbvb46H7IQ
Leon Edwards addressed Darren Till's recent struggles whilst at the UFC 286 press conference this week. 'Rocky', who has experienced his own troubles in life, had a message of support for his 30-year-old compatriot:
"For me, I just want to see Darren do well, you know? I feel like he's a little bit loose with what he's doing and where he's going... For me, I just want him to somehow find his path. Whether it's back in Liverpool where he started or somewhere else. I want him to get that confidence back in himself that he had in 2019 where he thought he was the best in the world."
Catch Edwards' comments here:
.@Leon_edwardsmma 🤝 @darrentill2
All class from the champ! https://t.co/lx9DiILYxy
When Dana White supported Darren Till following his loss to Dricus Du Plessis
Dana White came to the defense of Darren Till in the aftermath of his UFC 282 loss to Dricus Du Plessis.
Till's performance was mixed as he was dominated in the first round by the South African but rallied in the second. With the momentum now in 'The Gorilla's' favor heading into the third, fans of the Englishman were left disappointed as he returned to his shaky form of the first round before being submitted.
Despite Till's loss, the UFC president didn't believe that the Liverpudlian's stock had dropped. According to White, who spoke to the press after the bout, there was a reason the contest was awarded Fight of the Night:
"I mean that's Fight of the Night. I don't think his stock drops at all. You know, if he went out there and got destroyed in the first round, like it looked like it was gonna happen, but it did the exact opposite, he weathered that storm, stayed out of submissions. Then he comes back and you think he's gonna win the fight."
White added:
"I thought it was an awesome fight, that's why it was Fight of the Night and I don't think his stock dropped at all."
Catch White's post-fight presser here: