Darren Till makes middleweight debut against Kelvin Gastelum
Darren Till teased a move to middleweight recently, and it was more than just a hint, it was a telling of things to come. The UFC have now officially announced a middleweight match up between Till and former interim title challenger Kelvin Gastelum. The bout is scheduled for UFC 244, taking place in New York City, Madison Square Garden, November second.
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Both fighters will be looking to return to the win column following recent losses. Till shot to stardom, going undefeated in his six first bouts in the UFC, with wins over Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. The latter win earned him a title shot against then champion Tyron Woodley, but Till would be handed his first loss, via second round submission. He then faced Jorge Masvidal, and was knocked out in the second round.
Gastelum capped off last year with his second straight, high-profile win. Following a submission loss to Chris Weidman, he bounced back by knocking out former champ Michael Bisping in the first round. He then went three hard-fought rounds with Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, winning a close split decision in a “Fight of the Night” bout. His latest appearance was against Israel Adesanya for the interim middleweight belt, in which Gastelum lost a unanimous decision. Their five round was is however already considered a “Fight of the Year” candidate.
While not announced, UFC 244 is expected to be headlined by a welterweight title bout between Kamaru Usman and challenger Colby Covington.
Who wins at UFC 244: Darren Till or Kelvin Gastelum?