Darren Till has signed a multi-fight agreement with Bare Knuckle FC. His debut under the promotion is scheduled for a Birmingham, England event on May 30. Till's opponent for his bare knuckle debut has not yet been announced. This marks a significant career move for the former UFC contender as he transitions to a different combat sport.
Darren Till has officially signed a multi-fight deal with Bare Knuckle FC, with his promotional debut set for a Birmingham, England event on May 30, 2026. An opponent for that first appearance has not yet been named.
Till, known as "The Gorilla," brings an 18-5-1 professional MMA record into this new chapter of his combat sports career. The 33-year-old Englishman competed in the UFC as both a welterweight and middleweight contender, establishing himself as one of the more technically refined strikers in either division. Standing six feet tall with a 74-inch reach, the southpaw out of Astra Fight Team averaged 2.3 significant strikes landed per minute at 46 percent accuracy during his MMA career. Takedowns and submission attempts were rarely part of his game, making his transition to bare knuckle boxing a natural extension of his striking-first approach.
Why it matters
- Till was a former UFC welterweight title challenger and ranked middleweight, giving Bare Knuckle FC a recognizable name with a proven combat sports following.
- His southpaw stance and polished striking background make him a potentially dangerous bare knuckle competitor, though the format presents new variables without gloves.
- The Birmingham setting gives the promotion a high-profile domestic draw, as Till is one of England's most prominent combat sports figures.
- The multi-fight structure suggests BKFC views Till as a long-term asset rather than a one-off crossover attraction.
