Darren Till faces Yoel Romero later this month in one of the biggest fights on the BKFC calendar, and former multi-division BKB champion Dan Podmore believes the Liverpool native has what it takes to get the job done.
Till and Romero are set to collide at BKFC 94 on Sept. 26 in England, a matchup that pits two former UFC stars against one another in the fast-growing world of bare-knuckle boxing. While Romero remains one of combat sports’ most dangerous athletes despite his age, Podmore is backing Till to emerge victorious.
Podmore, who challenges Julian Fernandez for the BKB super cruiserweight title at BKB 59 in Tijuana on Sept. 19, has followed Till’s transition into bare-knuckle fighting closely.
The British standout was in attendance for Till’s BKFC debut against Aaron Chalmers at BKFC 90 in Birmingham and came away impressed by how the former UFC title challenger responded to adversity.
“Well, I was actually there in Birmingham [at BKFC 90]. I was supporting my teammate Connor Tierney,” Podmore said. “I thought Aaron Chalmers may have done a little bit better than what he done because I knew Aaron Chalmers had done a fair bit, and I thought people were sleeping on him a little bit.”
“So when he dropped Darren Till, I was like, ‘Here we go,’ you know what I mean? But then when Darren Till came back and pulled it out of the pot, he knocked him out. Yeah, that was amazing.”
While Podmore was impressed by Till’s debut performance, he acknowledged that Romero presents a completely different test.
The Cuban veteran continues to defy expectations and remains one of the most physically imposing fighters in combat sports.
“So his fight with Yoel Romero is a different kettle of fish,” Podmore said.”He’s the old man that defies all the odds, and he’s still doing things that old men shouldn’t be doing. You know what I mean? He’s fighting and training like he’s in his mid-30s. It’s going to be interesting to see.”
Romero’s explosive athleticism and knockout power have remained intact throughout his combat sports career, making him one of the most dangerous opponents Till has faced since leaving the UFC.
Podmore also revealed that fighters from his gym have spent time sparring with Till during his preparation for the bout, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
“I know Darren Till trains hard. I know a couple of the guys from my gym have been up to spar him and that, but I was away at the time,” Podmore said.”But yeah, they said he’s very good. So that’s going to be an interesting one to see.”
The former BKB champion believes Till’s preparation and skill set could be enough to overcome Romero’s experience and physicality.
“I’ll be watching myself, 100%. I think you’ve got to back the Englishman, and I’ll go with Darren Till.”
The clash between Till and Romero has quickly become one of the most anticipated bare-knuckle bouts of the year. Both men carry significant star power from their UFC careers, and a victory could position either fighter for even bigger opportunities within BKFC.
