What's next for Darren Till? Former UFC star announces Misfits exit

Former UFC title challenger Darren Till announced on Monday that he has parted ways with Misfits Boxing.

After departing the UFC in 2023 Till had moved into the influencer boxing sphere and signed with Misfits the following year.

The 33-year-old was initially scheduled to take on Tommy Fury in his promotional debut, before Fury withdrew from the fight and he instead faced Misfits stalwart Anthony Taylor and claimed a sixth round TKO win.

From there Till continued to go from strength to strength with the promotion, comfortably outpointing Darren Stewart in May before becoming the inaugural bridgerweight champion with a third-round KO of former UFC champion Luke Rockhold on pay-per-view.

The news of the Liverpudlian's departure comes as a surprise, particularly given the fact that he has been one of the biggest stars in the sphere in the midst of Misfits founder KSI's ongoing hiatus from the sport.

With Till now a free agent, we've taken a look at what he might do next.

Carl Froch

It should come as no surprise that Till's three fights in Misfits proved that he is well above the skill level of his contemporaries in the influencer sphere.

Even before making it to the highest level of MMA, Till had an extensive background in kickboxing, reportedly holding a perfect record across 44 fights in the discipline.

He undoubtedly has the ability to work his way up the ranks as a cruiserweight boxer in the UK scene, though the process of climbing up the ladder is generally a lengthy an arduous one - even for a fighter as talented as Till.

Till's name value combined with his relative lack of experience as a boxer puts him in an awkward position should he attempt the conventional route, but would make the perfect opponent for a former champion looking to return to the ring.

And who fits that bill better than Carl Froch?

Froch has always stated that he could be tempted back into the ring for the right kind of fight, and a clash with Till would seemingly tick all the boxes.

The pair have repeatedly traded barbs on social media, and Till's advantages in size and youth put up against Froch's elite skill would make for a compelling showdown that would no doubt capture the attention of the combat sports world in this era of crossover fights.

Return to UFC

When Till walked away from mixed martial arts he had won just one of his last six fights, with a series of knee injuries only highlighting his weaknesses in the wrestling department.

However, under closer inspection Till's defeats all came to some of the best fighters in the world at 185lbs, and in his most recent outing he gave former champion Dricus Du Plessis arguably his toughest fight on the road to UFC gold.

While many fighters depart the UFC on less-than amicable terms, Till revealed that he had actually requested his release in order to pursue other interests and had been told the door would remain open to him should he decide to return to the cage.

His star power alone would make a reunion a no-brainer for the UFC.

Till would be an ideal headliner for a future Fight Night event in British shores, and with former champion Israel Adesanya looking for a dance partner who would be happy engage him in the striking realm, the pieces may already be in place for a perfect return fight.

Netflix MMA

For a long time, there have been relatively few options for free agents in mixed martial arts to capitalise on their star power to the fullest financial extent.

While exceptions certainly exist - Francis Ngannou's lucrative one-fight stint with the PFL being one - for the most part fighters have had limited options when it comes to where they will ply their trade after leaving the UFC.

However, that could all change with Netflix moving into the MMA business.

The streaming giant has recently partnered with Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions with a maiden event featuring some of the biggest names in the sport, including Ngannou, Ronda Rousey and Nate Diaz scheduled for next month.

While the card for MVP MMA-01 has seemingly been finalised, the acquisition of Till would serve as a real statement of intent that MVP are willing to shake up the world of MMA going forward.

With Diaz set to take on fellow UFC veteran Mike Perry on that card next month, having Till ready to face off with the winner for a potential showdown down the line would be a great way for the upstart promotion to build momentum beyond their inaugural event.

Jake Paul

Speaking of Jake Paul...

Since transitioning into the world of combat sports Jake Paul has built his boxing career on fighting former mixed martial artists inside the ring, earning wins over the likes of Anderson Silva, Tyron Woodley and Mike Perry in the process.

An oft-cited criticism of Paul's opponents - particularly before he stepped up to fight two-time heavyweight king Anthony Joshua late last year - is that he carries a significant advantage in either size, youth, or boxing experience - sometimes all three.

In Till however, Paul would have an opponent that would give him a real challenge - and one that you could truly see going either way.

Paul has recently detailed his ambitions to move into MMA and face Nate Diaz, but should he decide to step back inside the ring a clash with Till would serve as the perfect litmus test of how far he has come as a boxer.