Can Darren Till check out with the UFC Welterweight title?

Liverpool fighter goes up against Tyron Woodley

Darren Till has been given the opportunity to become Merseyside’s first UFC champion.

The 25-year-old will face currently welterweight champion Tyron Woodley at UFC 228 in Dallas, Texas.

Interim champion Colby Covington was due to fight Woodley. But the Florida native is out of action until late September.

That’s presented Till – recent conqueror of Stephen Thompson – with an opportunity he’s craved. The Coral News Team examines his credentials ahead of a huge clash.

Proven pedigree

At UFC Liverpool, Till had one huge question to answer – could he cut the mustard against the organisation’s elite fighters? And he answered with aplomb.

He won in a unanimous decision against Thompson – one of the UFC’s best welterweight/lightweight fighters. And someone who’s taken Woodley close on two previous occasions.

In addition, Till also has the marketability to sell numbers in the UFC. And that’s incredibly important in the modern fight landscape.

Championship rounds

Although it wasn’t a title match against Thompson, the fight was scheduled for – and went – the full five rounds.

And that sort of experience will be vital to Till who had never been beyond three before in the UFC. Like any five-round fight, there will be moments where a fighter will look gassed. But Till was still going strong in the final five minutes of the bout.