Darren Till teases move up to light heavyweight: ‘These welterweights are just too easy’

The spotlight is shining bright on rising UFC welterweight contender Darren Till and rightfully so. After destroying mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran Donald Cerrone via first-round TKO earlier this month at UFC Fight Night 118, Till has skyrocketed up the 170-pound rankings.

While “Cowboy” is naturally a lightweight and has competed most of his career at 155 pounds, he has wiped out some serious competition during his time at welterweight, including finishes over Matt Brown (former middleweight), Patrick Cote (former middleweight), and divisional tank Rick Story. He’s a true test for any fighter, whether it be at lightweight or 170 pounds.

But after jumping up in competition and locking down a career-defining finish, Till is beginning to wonder if the entire welterweight division is as easy as “Cowboy.” So much so that the 24-year-old Englishman is seriously entertaining a potential move up to light heavyweight.

“I don’t really know how to take the welterweight division at the moment, mate,” Till said during a recent appearance on The BBC MMA Show. “I’m half considering going to light heavyweight because the welterweight division — they are just all, they’re just too easy. I don’t know, mate. […] I was just telling [Mike Perry at UFC Gdansk] that he’s a little tiny lightweight and to get back to his own division. Stop trying to mess with these light heavyweights. Back and forth, innit? I love causing mayhem. I love having beef with everyone.”

While Till is a massive welterweight who can rely on his natural strength to chuck around most contenders in the division, he’d shrink considerably against the best at 205. But with a depleted list of title threats the light heavyweight division would welcome Till with open arms, even though the youngster would fare much better with a move to middleweight.

Either way, Till is ready and willing to fight anybody in the world, whether it’s within his current weight class or not.

“Let’s get one thing straight right, I ain’t scared of one man on this Earth,” Till proclaimed. “There’s not one man on Earth that puts the fear of God in me. There’s one man who I will never talk back to or anything and that’s [my coach] Colin Heron. Apart from Colin there’s not a man on this Earth that I fear and if anyone disrespects me I will fight them. I just want to fight anyone. I don’t care.”

The MMA world has seen rising stars like Till come and go with the wind, but there seems to be something special about the confident striker. He’s big enough to test his aggressive fighting style against mid-tier competition in the middleweight division, and maybe even light heavyweight if he draws the right opponent, but Till would be making a serious mistake by giving up on his growing title potential at 170 pounds.