Darren Till’s professional boxing debut this past weekend didn’t quite go as expected.
Till, the former UFC welterweight title contender, has been for several months preparing for his debut in the boxing ring which was initially intended to come against ex-WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on the undercard of the since-postponed July fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul.
But after that was temporarily waylaid due to medical issues experienced by Tyson, Till took on a short notice boxing match on Saturday in Dubai against a mixed martial arts fighter called Mohammad Mutie — and after Mutie signalled that he was unable to continue after allegedly receiving a blow to the back of the head from Till, he aggressively approached the Englishman to complain. Moments later, a brawl ensued and the ring was filled with representatives from both camps.
Darren Till just got into a brawl at Social Knockout after his opponent couldn’t continue… #mma #boxing pic.twitter.com/cyVxq71p7h
— Mase (@cutman_mase) July 6, 2024
“This is fighting, you get hit,” Till said afterwards, as noted by MMA Fighting. “If you don’t wanna continue fighting, don’t be a fighter. He’s not a fighter. He’s not a real fighter. He’s a coward. And then, when I’m minding my own business, he comes and attack me.
“I’m so sorry. I’m not that guy. I’m a respectful guy. I love this sport. l love Dubai. I’ve been coming here since 2016 so I do want to apologize but I was standing there minding my own business and he came over to attack me with his team. I’ve got to defend myself. I’m really sorry about that guys.”
Till, who was awarded the TKO victory and is now 1-0 in his fledgling boxing career, also stated his desire to take on Jake Paul, Mike Perry and Tommy Fury in upcoming bouts.
