Darren Till Discusses Payday for Boxing Debut, Upside of Post-Fight Brawl

While Darren Till ’s boxing debut earned him his first combat sports payday since his departure from the Ultimate Fighting Championship , it wasn’t all that lucrative.

Till parted ways with the UFC in February 2023 on his own request, vowing to return to the promotion in a few years after having pursued other interests. “The Gorilla” was scheduled to make his boxing debut against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on July 20 on the undercard of Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson. However, that fight fell through due to Till’s visa issues combined with the card being briefly jeopardized before Mike Perry stepped up to replace a sick Tyson.

Till instead made a surprising short-notice debut in the squared circle against Mohammad Mutie at Social Knockout 3 on Saturday in Dubai. The fight ended in a second-round TKO win for Till after his opponent refused to continue fighting, citing punches to the back of the head. A brawl between the combatants ensued after the verdict was rendered.

Till revealed on "The MMA Hour” that his boxing payday was the most money he received since his last UFC paycheck, which came in December 2022 for a submission loss against Dricus Du Plessis . However, Till hinted that it wasn’t a mammoth payday after all.

“It was all right. You know, f—ng buy the kids some clothes and that, in it. Something like that. Buy meself – I don’t know what would that buy, like a Five Guys or something. We’re good. Little bit of money. F—ing best bit of money in 18 months mate, it’s been a struggle. Man’s struggling, man’s drowning if it weren’t for Blockasset.”

Till’s opponent, Mutie, was rolling in the floor in agony before suddenly getting up and charging at the Brit. All hell broke loose as Mutie grabbed hold of single leg and Till got taken down in the chaos before their teams and security intervened.

Till readily admitted to having punched his opponent on the back of the head. However, the former UFC star believes his opponent was already looking for a way out and found the perfect excuse.

“100% I did… I think in the second round, I think hit him with a jab,” Till said. “I just seen his whole face into me and I think he’s like, ‘Uh, I need a way out now.’ And that was obviously his way out.”

Till also claims that the promoter of the event and others present were disgusted by Mutie’s actions.

“The promoter, Tam Khan , he was like shouting at the guy, like [it was] a disgrace,” Till said. “Even like a lot of the Dubai police there who’re gonna be working with my new promotion, Gorilla Promotion, were there. They were just disgusted in the guy’s actions.”

For Till, an upside to the whole fiasco is the attention it brought him overnight.

“But you know what, the guy’s probably done us a favor,” he said. “Because look at how viral it went. The whole world is talking about it, so it’s a good thing. It’s not a bad thing. Darren Till is always in the middle of some shite.”