Darren Till is stepping into a new phase of his fighting career and he’s not easing into it.
After leaving Misfits Boxing earlier this month, Darren Till has officially signed with BKFC and now has a date locked in. The former UFC title challenger will make his bare-knuckle debut against Aaron Chalmers on May 30 at BKFC 90 inside the Utilita Arena in Birmingham, England.
For Darren Till, the move came down to one thing: the offer was too good to ignore.
“I have to just say, the reason Bare Knuckle happened is because I couldn’t turn down the offer,” Till said. “It was irrefusable. It excited me. It got my juices flowing. It’s a tough sport from what I’ve been watching.”
“These guys aren’t your traditional martial artists. They’re gritty, hard-punching fighters. You’ve got to come in with a different mentality, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” he added.
Darren Till walked away from MMA in 2022 and has since built momentum in boxing. Across exhibition bouts and Misfits contests, he has remained unbeaten, most recently scoring a knockout win over Luke Rockhold.
Now, he faces a different kind of challenge in BKFC.
Chalmers brings experience into the fight, having competed in MMA promotions like Bellator before transitioning into boxing and bare-knuckle competition. He most recently picked up a stoppage win in BKFC, making him a dangerous first test for Till.
Despite the excitement, Darren Till remains realistic about the risks that come with bare-knuckle fighting.
“I still don’t really want my face getting smashed up,” Till said. “I’m 33—I’m not the ugliest lad out there. This is one of those jobs: get in, get the belt, and get out—unless they offer me crazy money.”
“You can’t be doing 10 fights in this game. You’d be walking around with half your face hanging off,” he continued.
Till has reportedly signed a three-fight deal, and he’s already making it clear that he’s approaching this run with a clear plan, maximize the opportunity and limit the damage.
With his striking pedigree and growing confidence in boxing, Darren Till enters BKFC with momentum. But bare-knuckle fighting is a different beast entirely and on May 30, he’ll find out exactly where he stands.
