Confirmed! Derek Brunson vs Darren Till to headline Sept. 4 UFC event

It’s official!

Darren Till will take on Derek Brunson for the Liverpudian’s big return to the Octagon on Sept. 4, 2021. Unfortunately, UFC’s big British hope won’t be able to ply his trade in front of his home country: the event that was originally targeted for a London, England, location will instead be held back in Las Vegas, Nevada, inside the promotion’s APEX facility.

Till hasn’t stepped into the cage since a loss to Robert Whittaker back in July 2020. Since then, he’s been scheduled for main event fights against Jack Hermansson and Marvin Vettori, but was forced to pull out of both with injuries — first a reported knee injury and then a broken collarbone, which Till confirmed. In both events, Till’s loss was Kevin Holland’s gain: Holland filled in for both headlining fights.

Outside of the cage, Till has been making headlines for posting memes so bad the police have gotten involved.

As for Brunson, his last win was against ... Kevin Holland in March! Before that, he beat a hyped up Edmen Shahbazyan in convincing fashion, stopping the young prospect in the third round of their main event fight (watch highlights). Since losing to Israel Adesanya in Nov. 2018, Brunson has earned himself a four-fight win streak.

Always the underestimated fighter, Brunson is once again coming into this fight a slight +115 underdog to Till’s -150 favorite.

As you might expect from a card that was supposed to be UFC’s return to the United Kingdom, there’s a lot of international talent for the upcoming card. Also on the card: Alexander Gustafsson vs. Paul Craig, “Meatball” Molly McCann vs. Ji Yeon Kim, Marc Diakiese vs. Rafael Alves, and the debut of Paddy Pimblett vs. Luigi Vendramini.