Ilia Topuria included Darren Till's boxing when selecting attributes for his ideal fighter, an unusual choice that surprised observers.
Ilia Topuria raised a few eyebrows recently when he named Darren Till's boxing as one of the attributes he would borrow for his ideal composite fighter, offering an unexpected compliment to the English veteran.
Topuria, ranked number one pound-for-pound and second in the lightweight division, has established himself as one of the sport's most complete fighters. The 29-year-old Spaniard carries a 17-1 record and fights out of Climent Club under an orthodox stance. Standing five-foot-seven with a 69-inch reach, he lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy, while also threatening with nearly two takedowns per 15 minutes and averaging 1.1 submission attempts in the same span.
Till, fighting out of England for the Astra Fight Team, holds an 18-5-1 record and has long been regarded as one of the more technically refined boxers to come through the welterweight and middleweight ranks. The 33-year-old southpaw stands six feet tall with a 74-inch reach, and his striking style prioritizes precision and power over volume, reflected in his 2.3 significant strikes landed per minute at 46 percent accuracy.
Why it matters
- Topuria singling out Till's boxing adds credibility to a skillset that has sometimes been overshadowed by the Englishman's turbulent career trajectory.
- For Topuria, the comments offer a rare public look at how the pound-for-pound leader evaluates striking craft outside his own camp.
- Till's reach advantage of five inches over Topuria underscores why a southpaw boxer of his dimensions would appeal as a hypothetical asset.
