“Come on Paddy”: Darren Till opens door to UFC return, calls for Paddy Pimblett showdown
Darren Till revealed his UFC comeback plans and explained why a fight with Paddy Pimblett at Anfield appeals to him.
Former UFC welterweight title challenger Darren Till parted ways with the UFC after taking a voluntary release from the promotion to recover from his injuries. However, he never returned to MMA and instead changed the trajectory of his career by focusing on boxing bouts.
Recently, Till expressed his desire to return to the UFC and face top-ranked lightweight Paddy Pimblett if the promotion is willing to welcome him back.
Darren Till open to UFC comeback against Paddy Pimblett
In his recent appearance on ‘Fight Your Corner,’ Till admitted that he is still undecided about whether he wants to return to MMA.
However, he also explained that he has not suffered significant head trauma during his career and could afford to dedicate an extended period to training if he decides to make another attempt at competing at the highest level.
“I’m still pondering about whether to go back to MMA,” Till said. “I’m 33 years young. I haven’t taken a lot of punishment in terms of head trauma. I could definitely do it, and I’m making enough money now to be like, I’m taking a year off to go to Russia or Brazil… And be like, let’s make one more crack at it.
Till acknowledged that a UFC return would ultimately depend on whether the promotion would be willing to sign him again. The Liverpool native has been critical of the UFC in recent months, something he believes could make a potential comeback more complicated.
“That’s if they would have me back though because I’ve been slating them recently,” he continued.
Despite that uncertainty, Till already has an opponent in mind if the UFC return materializes. The former title challenger believes a fight with Pimblett at Anfield would be a major event.
“Yeah, me vs Paddy at Anfield, it’s always been spoken about and Paddy is on such a trajectory now, imagine I slip back in and say, ‘Come on Paddy, let’s do this together’,” Till stated.
Check out Darren Till’s comments below:
Why a Darren Till-Paddy Pimblett fight makes little sense
A Till-Pimblett matchup would carry plenty of intrigue due to their shared Liverpool roots. However, Pimblett is a lightweight, while Till competed at middleweight in his last UFC fight, making the weight difference a major hurdle for their potential matchup.
Pimblett submitted Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 329 in under a minute, and with one more victory in the division, he could cement himself as the next title challenger to Justin Gaethje. The two have history, as they previously faced each other at UFC 324 for the interim lightweight title. As a result, Pimblett likely won't even consider a potential fight with Till at this point.
Meanwhile, Till last competed in MMA in December 2022, when he faced Dricus Du Plessis and suffered a third-round submission loss. The defeat marked his third straight loss and fifth in his last six fights. He currently holds a professional record of 18 wins, five losses, and one draw.
Till is now set to face former UFC star Yoel Romero under the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) banner. The fight is scheduled to take place at AO Arena on September 26.
