Getty Tyron Woodley & Darren Till
Former welterweight title challenger Darren Till is no longer on the UFC roster as the Englishman confirmed the news this week. And according to “The Gorilla,” he was the one to initiate the promotional exit.
Till, who is 1-5 in his last six fights including a current 0-3 skid at middleweight, took to social media to announce his departure. Till wrote that he still had a good relationship with UFC executives Dana White and Hunter Campbell, but he asked to be released from his contract so he could “sort some other s***” out.
The Gorilla also stated that he’d “be back” and wasn’t “going anywhere;” however, he left out further details.
“What’s happening everyone, Me, Dana & Hunter are still cool as f***,” Till tweeted on March 1. “I asked UFC 2 remove me just 2 sort some other s*** for the foreseeable, They happily agreed to release me out of contract which I appreciate. I’m not going anywhere, got big plans to execute & I’ll be back.”
Till’s Best Work Was Done at 170 Pounds, Fought Tyron Woodley for the Belt
Till’s Octagon exit came around three months after his third-round submission loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 282. That night in December marked the end of Till’s over-year-long hiatus from the sport. Prior to the Du Plessis skirmish, Till dropped back-to-back bouts to Derek Brunson in September 2021 and Robert Whittaker in July 2020.
The Gorilla’s lone win as a UFC middleweight came during his divisional debut in November 2019 when he bested “The Ultimate Fighter” winner Kelvin Gastelum by split decision at UFC 244. Till vied for the 170-pound strap in September 2018 when Tyron Woodley was champion. But, unfortunately for The Gorilla, the champ proved to be too much, and he was taken out with a Brabo choke during the second round of their UFC 228 affair.
All in all, Till sports a professional mixed martial arts record of 18-5-1. Besides the Gastelum win, The Gorilla’s most notable victories as a UFC athlete came over Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in May 2018 and October 2017, respectively.
Till owns 10 wins via KO/TKO and two by submission.
Till Confirmed He Wouldn’t Retire Following His Defeat to Du Plessis
Till shared a video on his Instagram after his defeat to Du Plessis in December addressing his extended losing streak. The scouser said he’d “have a little time off from the UFC” to “rethink stuff,” but he also confirmed that retirement wasn’t on the table.
“You don’t always get what you want in this life,” Till said. “It’s tough. F***, I’m 29 now. I’ve been at the top of this sport since 2017. I entered in the UFC in 2015.
“I’m not retiring,” Till continued. “This is not a retirement speech. I’m 29, that would be stupid to decide. I’m on a bit of a losing skid at the moment, I really am. I’m not finding me right way and stuff like that. And it’s crazy because when I’m in the gym sparring with the best guys around the world, I really am in me element.
“And then I step in there in the Octagon, I just can seem to put things together. Then I have moments — like in the second round — when I’m untouchable, but then certain things happen.”