Darren Till has signed with Conor McGregor-owned BKFC following his dramatic exit from Misfits Boxing.
Till, a former UFC title challenger, had vowed to “try my hand at something new” and will now compete under the banner of McGregor’s bare-knuckle boxing promotion.
The Liverpudlian joins on a multi-fight deal with his first bout penned in for 30 May in Birmingham, when BKFC returns to England. His opponent for that outing is currently unknown.
The Gorilla is dropping the gloves 🦍 @darrentill2 Has inked a multi fight deal 🖊️ First fight May 30 at BKFC 90 in Birmingham, England 🏴 Who should he face first? pic.twitter.com/muoxDJc1RB
— Bare Knuckle FC (@bareknucklefc) April 8, 2026
“I am very pleased to be signing with the BKFC,” Till said in a press release. “It’s an amazing promotion! F*** everyone on this roster, I’m coming to be the face of violence. No one can beat me.”
The move could finally allow for a fight with long-time rival Mike Perry, who has become one of BKFC’s biggest names since leaving the UFC.
However, it is highly unlikely the two will square off for Till’s debut with Perry already booked to fight Nate Diaz on MVP’s 16 May fight card, headlined by Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano.
Till, 33, first made his name in the UFC, going 5-0-1 between 2015 and 2018 to set up a welterweight title shot. At that point, he suffered his first MMA defeat, losing to then-champion Tyron Woodley via submission.
That result marked the start of a 1-5 run for Till, who outpointed Kelvin Gastelum but lost to Jorge Masvidal via KO, former champion Robert Whittaker via decision, and Derek Brunson and Dricus Du Plessis via submission. Du Plessis went on to win the middleweight title, with Till having moved up to that division in 2019.
Till rediscovered his form and confidence in the boxing ring, however, knocking out Mohammad Mutie in a 2024 exhibition before joining Misfits.
“The Gorilla” debuted in Misfits in January 2025 and went on to fight three times in the promotion. His first match was due to be against Tommy Fury – half-brother of ex-heavyweight boxing champ Tyson Fury – but Till’s joke about intending to kick the reality-TV star led Fury to withdraw.
He knocked out Anthony Taylor on his eventual debut, outpointed fellow UFC veteran Darren Stewart in May, then stopped ex-UFC champion Luke Rockhold in August.
