Darren Till has revealed he is dealing with a torn ACL ahead of his bare-knuckle fight against Yoel Romero at BKFC 94 in Manchester on September 26.

The former UFC contenders will meet in the main event as Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship returns to the UK, with Till entering the bout after making a successful promotional debut against Aaron Chalmers in May. Till has previously said he turned down opportunities to face Romero during their time in the UFC, but the pair will now meet in the BKFC ring.

“I’m still walking around with a torn ACL,” said Till, according to MMA Junkie. “After my fight with Luke Rockhold, it actually popped out in the changing room. My last fight, last camp, it was good. Now it’s good. I can do everything, movements and stuff. But it is the reality of it.”

Till also indicated that he hopes to address his knee issues before potentially returning to mixed martial arts, although the 33-year-old said his future will depend on how his career develops. “I think once I get those knees done and dusted and I’ve made all my money inside, whether it be the bare knuckle, Misfits Boxing, or whatever, I’m hopeful to go back [to MMA],” added Till.

“It just depends on where my career goes in the next year or two,” he continued. For now, his focus will be on Romero and their September 26 meeting, with the bout set to headline a card that also features BKFC champions David Mundell and Karl Thompson.

Till made his BKFC debut in May with a one-punch knockout victory over Chalmers. The Liverpool fighter will now face Romero, a former UFC middleweight title challenger and Olympic silver medallist in freestyle wrestling, in his second appearance for the promotion.