Former UFC and MMA star Darren Till is continuing his boxing career and takes on Tommy Fury next up.
Tommy Fury, brother of Tyson Fury, beat Jake Paul in a pro boxing ring not long ago and at their press conference this week all out war ensured when his father John Fury threw water at Till.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani on his show Till said:
“Ariel Helwani: What are you doing? Do you want to go do something?
Darren Till: What was all the talk about Little John?
Ariel Helwani: Little John? Mate, Little John hasn’t been seen in months.
Darren Till: What? Him? Absolutely, I’ll put him in the ground.
Ariel Helwani: What was it that got you agitated? You seemed relaxed before, didn’t you?
Darren Till: I just like the way it is. It’s the fight game. Tommy was quite respectful, but you just threw it on his head, didn’t you?
Ariel Helwani: Yeah, that’s how we get down. That’s how we do it.
Darren Till: What did you make of his reaction? Do you feel like you’re already in his head?
Ariel Helwani: Yeah, yeah, I’m going to break him.
Darren Till: What can he expect?
Ariel Helwani: What can he expect? I’m going to break him.
Darren Till: Are you going to continue going after John Fury?
Ariel Helwani: I’m going after all of them—the whole family.
Darren Till: What about Tyson?
Ariel Helwani: Tyson’s a Fury, so it’s me versus them all.
Ariel Helwani: Is it personal now?
Darren Till: No, it’s never personal. I don’t hold any ill will toward him or John. I wish them both the best of health. But at the end of the day, this is the fight game. You come prepared, or you don’t—and I’m prepared.
Ariel Helwani: Was that a message to anyone else in this scene, like Logan Paul or Jake Paul?
Darren Till: Yeah, I’m not on-site, but I’m always ready to fight if it comes down to it. There’s a lot of security, but if it’s on, it’s on. You know what I mean? That’s just how it is. If I saw Tommy on his own, I’d never do anything like that. You don’t fight like that. But with a little fight, it is what it is. I had a fight last time outside the ring.
Ariel Helwani: Were you serious about kicking him?
Darren Till: Yeah, obviously. If I’m losing the fight, I’m going to kick him in the head.
Ariel Helwani: What would happen if you fought in MMA?
Darren Till: Silly question, but yeah, I’d definitely consider it.
Ariel Helwani: Can you talk about the fight being at heavyweight?
Darren Till: Yeah, that’s what they wanted. I’m not even that heavy, to be honest. I’m quite small for 93 kg. But again, it’s just about gaining the upper hand.
Ariel Helwani: Were they adamant about that in the negotiations?
Darren Till: Yeah, whatever. I don’t care about the money. Take my money if you want, I’m good. I don’t need the money.
Ariel Helwani: Do you feel like no one’s rattled Tommy like that before?
Darren Till: He’s absolutely terrified, and his dad—Little John—thought he could just walk away from the face-off. I don’t know, maybe he was coming back for the face-off later. But it’s whatever. I’m here to fight.
Ariel Helwani: How do you think that face-off would have gone?
Darren Till: It probably would have gotten physical. Maybe some punches thrown. I don’t know, I would’ve probably tried to slam him or something.
Ariel Helwani: What is it about John Fury that irritates you so much?
Darren Till: Nothing really. In this fight game, you can’t have feelings toward people like Tommy, John, or any of my opponents. KSI, Jake Paul—whatever. I don’t hold any ill will toward them. I wish them health and happiness. But when it comes to fighting me, it’s violence. That’s just how I get down—whether I’m the one getting elbowed in the face or I’m doing the hitting. It’s just part of the fight game.
Ariel Helwani: In terms of the fight, we haven’t actually seen a UFC fighter get a victory over a boxer yet. Do you think you could be the first?
Darren Till: I think so, yeah. I’m a good striker, I’m a good boxer. I’ve sparred with all kinds of guys. I’m not going to make cliche statements like “I’m different,” but I’m a good boxer. If I lose, I’ll just kick him in the head.
Ariel Helwani: Should you win against Tommy Fury, would your next ventures be against Jake Paul or KSI?
Darren Till: Yeah, I think after Tommy, I’ll go after Jake and KSI. Those are the big fights. Tommy’s the big one right now, and then it’s KSI and Jake. After that, the whole influencer scene will be over for me, and I’ll just move on to whatever’s next.
Ariel Helwani: There was a lot of back-and-forth between you and AnEsonGib. Is that still a fight you’d want?
Darren Till: If it’s there, yeah. Me and Gib have talked a lot. He wants to fight, but Gib’s a bit small for me. I’m a big guy. I could get down to the weight, but honestly, after Tommy, I’m probably going to fight Jake and KSI, and that’ll be it for me.”
The fight next up between Fury and Till takes place at heavyweight.
Once again it shows big name MMA stars not over the hill moving to professional boxing and fighting in big boxing matches, yet again, showing the continued growth in the sport of boxing.
