Darren Till Says UFC Title Dream Still Stings

Darren Till’s latest victory has not changed the feeling he carries from his UFC years. After beating Yoel Romero in bare-knuckle competition at BKFC 94, Till spoke about the championship he never won and described that missed goal as something he expects to live with. The comments came during the event’s post-fight press conference, where he looked back on the ambition that shaped his time in the UFC while also discussing the combat-sports paths now open to him.

Till has continued competing since leaving the UFC, with results in both boxing and bare-knuckle. Those later appearances have given him opportunities beyond the promotion, but he made clear that they do not replace the importance he attached to becoming UFC champion. In his view, the title was not simply one possible achievement among many. It was the central target for him and Team Kaobon. Till said the group had tried to become the first team from Liverpool to accomplish that goal, only to fall short. That is why his reflection centered on unfinished business rather than dissatisfaction with his current career. His comments connected the regret directly to UFC gold, even as he acknowledged the different work he has undertaken since requesting his release from the organization.

A UFC championship remains Till’s unresolved goal

Speaking after BKFC 94, Till said he considers himself an honest person and explained that not winning a UFC title will remain a “thorn” for the rest of his life. He called the championship his dream and said it had been his “be-all and end-all in life.” The statement was rooted in what he and Team Kaobon pursued during his UFC run, not in a newly announced plan. Till also addressed what it would take for that feeling to change. He said he would not take that thorn out unless he returned to the UFC. At the same time, he noted that his manager does not want him to make that move. Rather than declare that a comeback is coming, Till left the subject unresolved, saying that one day, “who knows?” His position was exploratory: he said he is going through everything now after working in bare-knuckle and boxing. Those remarks draw a distinction between a lingering personal ambition and an arranged next step. Till voiced the emotional weight of the title he did not capture, but he did not confirm a UFC return. He also did not name a booked fight or set a timetable for any change in direction. What he did offer was a view of why UFC gold still matters to him despite the successes he has found in other settings.

The path that led Till to those other settings began with the end of his UFC tenure. He requested his release so that he could explore other opportunities, having finished his UFC stint on a three-fight skid. His activity after that exit has included boxing wins over Luke Rockhold, Darren Stewart and Anthony Taylor. Most recently, he added a bare-knuckle win over Yoel Romero at BKFC 94. Those outcomes provide the wider context for Till’s remarks. He has not stepped away from competition; instead, he has pursued bouts under different rules and banners. Still, his post-UFC run does not erase the specific regret he described at the press conference. Till identified the UFC title as the accomplishment he and his team wanted most, while his recent results show the avenues he has continued to explore outside the UFC. Key points from Till’s current position are as follows:

Bare-knuckle, boxing and a possible Perry matchup

Till said he is currently involved in bare-knuckle and has already competed in boxing. He also said a return to professional boxing could happen at some point. That leaves professional boxing as a possibility, not a confirmed next move. His comments on the UFC followed the same pattern: the title regret remains, but any return was presented as uncertain and was accompanied by the note that his manager does not want him to go back. A potential grudge match with Mike Perry is another possibility Till has discussed. Perry, like Till, is a former UFC fighter. However, no contest between them has been announced. Perry is recovering from a dislocation suffered in a recent MMA bout against Brandon Jenkins, and there is no word on when he will be medically cleared to compete again. That medical uncertainty means the matchup remains an interest voiced by Till rather than a scheduled fight. For readers tracking what is established and what remains open, the confirmed result is Till’s BKFC 94 win over Romero. His remarks also confirm the continuing significance of the UFC title dream. A return to the UFC, another professional boxing appearance and a fight with Perry are all subjects he has left open, not confirmed actions.

• Till requested his UFC release to explore other opportunities after ending that stint on a three-fight skid.
• Since then, he has recorded boxing wins over Luke Rockhold, Darren Stewart and Anthony Taylor, followed by a BKFC 94 win over Yoel Romero.

Till’s reflection after BKFC 94 placed his career in two connected frames. He has built a record outside the UFC through boxing victories and a latest bare-knuckle win over Yoel Romero, but the title he did not win still carries personal weight. He has not announced a UFC comeback, a professional boxing return or a date with Mike Perry. For now, the confirmed picture is a fighter active in bare-knuckle, open to different opportunities and still affected by the championship pursuit he and Team Kaobon did not complete.