Former UFC middleweight Darren Till has signed a multi-fight contract with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. His promotional debut is scheduled for May 30 in Birmingham, England. The opponent for Till's bare-knuckle debut has not yet been announced. This marks a significant career transition for Till, who moves from traditional MMA to the bare-knuckle boxing format.
Darren Till has signed a multi-fight deal with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, with his promotional debut scheduled for May 30 in Birmingham, England, marking a decisive shift away from mixed martial arts competition.
Till, 33, built his reputation as one of the most recognizable fighters in the UFC's welterweight and middleweight divisions over a career spanning a professional record of 18 wins, five losses, and one draw. The Liverpudlian southpaw, who trains out of Astra Fight Team, stands six feet tall with a 74-inch reach. Known for his striking output, Till averaged 2.3 significant strikes landed per minute during his MMA career at a 46 percent accuracy rate, numbers that reflect a measured, technical approach rather than pure volume. His grappling activity was minimal, with virtually no submission attempts logged across his fights.
The opponent for Till's bare-knuckle debut has not yet been announced, leaving the exact nature of his first matchup under the BKFC banner an open question heading into the Birmingham event.
Why it matters
- Till was a former UFC welterweight title challenger and a well-known name at 185 pounds, giving BKFC a significant marquee signing
- His southpaw striking background and professional boxing pedigree translate directly to the bare-knuckle format
- The Birmingham location gives BKFC a high-profile event on home soil for Till, who carries a strong English fanbase
- The move closes the door, at least for now, on a UFC return for one of British MMA's most prominent figures of the past decade
