THROWBACK: Darren Till Gets Emotional – Says He Was “Terrified” to Fight

Former UFC title challenger Darren Till had a defining moment that truly endeared him to the fans of the sport. Although he has blazed his trail in the octagon, Till has made a tremendous impact outside the cage in good measure. Chiefly, an interview with BT Sport’s Adam Catterall went a long way in changing the narrative around Darren Till.

The Englishman was fresh off his split decision win over Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 244 back in 2019. Till was elated after the victory as he had snapped a two-fight skid, one of which was a violent KO. Till’s previous outing saw him almost decapitated by a switch left hook landed by Jorge Masvidal, who headlined UFC 244.

Darren Till: Refreshingly honest

MMA is a sport that often sees fighters having a boisterous persona to seem invincible to their opponent. Although Till has never refrained from classic ‘fight game’ related antics, his honest interaction with Adam Catterall was refreshing. Till did a deep dive into his love for the fight game and was pleased to re-enter the win column.

“I think this is why I’m loved so much, I know I’m loved and I know I’m hated but I know I’m more loved. Because I speak from the heart and I just had some demons. I know me skill set, I know when I’m sparring all these guys from around the world…how good I am. Just like to be invincible, to be basically sh** on the ground is just…it was just devastating for me, you know.”

“I’ve put a lot into this. There are more guys who are more professional, there are guys who are tee-totaling. I like to di*k about sometimes, I like to go out and have a drink or two. But I’ve given my heart and soul to this. “

“I was so terrified”

Till was almost moved to tears when he broke down the crippling fear he felt going into his UFC 244 match-up. Chiefly, ‘The Gorilla’ explained that watching the man who violently KO’ed him in his hometown had an impact on him. The absolute sincerity of his words left a lasting impact on the listener.

What’s more, he dropped a shocking revelation about possibly pulling out of his fight with Gastelum.

“I’m seeing now Jorge Masvidal walking out and he knocked me out in my last fight. I’m here with these ‘BMF’s and I’m a ‘BMF’s and it was hard. To tell you the utmost truth, I didn’t even wanna go out there tonight. I was thinking of a way to fake an injury.”

“It was hard, man. I was so terrified. I was scared, man. Not scared of a fight, I like getting hit, I enjoy it. I was just scared. I’m just glad I overcame what I overcame. I wasn’t even bothered about the win.”

Hearing absolute, raw honesty from a high-caliber professional MMA fighter is a positive reflection on the sport. Darren Till unsurprisingly became a bonafide fan-favorite following this interview, and it’s easy to see why.

Also Watch: Incredible Atmosphere! Darren Till Walks Out To Sweet Caroline at UFC Liverpool.