Darren Till: ‘I Can’t Wait To Make Weight And Be The New UFC Champion’
In somewhat of a surprising turn of events, Darren Till will take on Tyron Woodley at UFC 228 and there’s been no shortage of debate throughout the MMA community as to whether it is the right way forward for the division.
Interim champion Colby Covington indicating he needed just two more months to recover from sinus surgery after the winning the strap in June, and Till missing weight befor his last fight at UFC Liverpool in May has a few people scratching their heads, alas, the fight between Till and Woodley will go ahead in 6 weeks’ time regardless.
Till has kept a relatively low profile since the announcement, but speaking exclusively to MMANytt.com, the Liverpudlian vowed to become the new 170lbs UFC champion.
“I feel good mate, I feel like it’s time to put a lot of doubters, to prove a lot of doubters wrong,” Till said. “Everyone keeps going on with the weight, the weight, the weight. “I’ve never seen someone get so much (expletive) for not making weight one time. It’s like I’ve never made weight. I can’t wait to come back, make the weight and be the new UFC welterweight world champion.”
Covington has very much been a sacrificial lamb in the UFC’s desire to find a main event worthy fight for the UFC 228 fight card. Till to an extent can understand Covington’s predicament, but said the American should ever feel like he’s in a position to dictate to the UFC.
“Colby talks so much (expletive), and then when he was called to fight, he said, ‘I’m going to wait,’” Till said. “I don’t think it works like that. You can’t have your cake and eat it.”
“He has won the title,” Till added later. “He does deserve that shot, but the UFC, they’re not going to let him call the shots. It’s not for me to say. I’m just going off what the UFC and Dana want me to do. If they want me to fight for the title, I’m not going to say no, I’m upset.”
With just six weeks now until fight night, Till knows he’s going to have to put in the extra work to get his weight down and be ready to take on the formidable champion, Woodley.
“It’s no joke now mate, no joke,” Till said. “I’ve got six weeks to get on my diet and get on my training. People are saying it’s going to be like a short camp for Tyron, but again mate, what you guys want me to do here? Pass up the opportunity to fight the world champion?
“That doesn’t matter right now. If you haven’t been training as hard as you should’ve [that’s on you]. All that matters now is me and Tyron Woodley fighting for the world welterweight championship.”
Till, 17-0-1, began his MMA journey back in 2013 and has gone through several personal struggles along the way to get to this title shot. Whilst not one to want to use his past to garner sympathy, the Team Kaobon man admitted that to get to the position of competing for a UFC title is something special.
“It’s crazy Jim. I’m not one to sit here and cry about what’s happened in my life, I’m not like that. But, a lot of stuff that I’ve dealt with over the years, to get here, it’s been a hard road. It’s satisfying.”
Watch the full interview:
