Darren Till lost his fifth fight in his last six UFC appearances on Saturday night when he was submitted by Dricus du Plessis, and even though he’s still only 29-years-old it’s led to him having to assure fans that he’s not planning to retire.
“You don’t always get what you want in this life,” Till said in a video released on social media. “It’s tough. I’m f—ing 29 now. I’ve been at the top of the sport since 2017, I entered in the UFC in 2015. I’m doing this video because I feel like I should do it now, the right time is now. I’m not retiring, this is not a retirement speech. I’m 29, that would be stupid to decide.
“But, you know, I’m on a bit of a losing skid at the moment, I really am. I’m not finding my right way at the moment, and it’s crazy because when I’m in the gym sparring with the best guys in the world, I really am in my element, and then I step in the octagon and I just can seem to put things together. Then I have moments like the second round when I’m untouchable, and then certain things happen.
“I just want to say whether you love me or hate me, I’m sorry. I tried to put a show on, I never cut no corners. I do really train, maybe I train too much. I train like a f—ing man demented. The past 18 weeks I’ve given me all, and I’ve always given me all to this sport. So now, I don’t know what to do properly, but I think I’m going to have a little time off from the UFC, I don’t know, and just rethink stuff.
“I’m not retired, I want to fight, I want to fight soon next year, but now I just want to spend Christmas with my family, have a good time with my friends, and everybody who supports me properly, my team back home.”
Till has only been fighting once every 14-15 months for the past few years, so more time off doesn’t seem to be the answer here, but it does seem that his struggle to get back on form is a mental battle as much as a physical one.
For instance, as he himself says, he did have his moments in the second round against du Plessis, but that appeared to stem from him getting a surge of confidence after realizing his opponent had gassed himself out after going all-out for a finish in the opening five minutes. However, when du Plessis caught his second-wind in the final five minutes Till faded again and quickly tapped when he was caught in a submission.
Also, while Till suggests that he might be training too hard, there’s long been doubts about whether he’s really taking his career as seriously as he should after being caught on camera in the midst of a street fight in his native Liverpool back in 2018, then being arrested for causing trouble on a drunken night out in Tenerife in 2019 and being penalized by Swedish police for drunk-driving in Sweden back in July of this year.
Given his age Till still has time to turn things around, and he still appears to have the UFC on his side after Dana White awarded his battle with du Plessis ‘Fight Of The Night’ honors, but nevertheless, 2023 looks like a make-or-break year for him.
