Welterweight contenders Darren Till and Jorge Masvidal are hard at work promoting their upcoming fight in the main event of UFC London on March 16.
On Wednesday afternoon, the two all-action welterweights took to the stage in London for a brief press conference, which culminated, as per tradition, with a staredown.
See Darren Till and Jorge Masvidal engage in their first staredown in the video at the top of this post.
Darren Till will enter the UFC London main event having not fought since September, when he was submitted by UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in his first UFC title shot. Prior to this fight, he had never been beaten. Highlights of his impressive undefeated run included triumphs over Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. He’s 17-1-1 in sum.
For Jorge Masvidal, UFC London will mark the end of a lengthy absence from the cage. “Gamebred” has not fought since November of 2017, when he gave up a decision to the aforementioned “Wonderboy.” This setback was preceded by a controversial loss to Demian Maia and a knockout defeat of “Cowboy.” Since his last fight, he’s been busy participating on a Spanish language reality television show. He’s 32-13 overall.
Who do you think will come out on top when Jorge Masvidal and Darren Till duke it out at UFC London?
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 1/30/2019.
American Kickboxing Academy head coach Javier Mendez has full confidence in Islam Makhachev’s ability to capture gold at 185 pounds.
Makhachev is the reigning UFC lightweight champion. He rules a division where the athletes are 30 pounds lighter than middleweights. It’s a fact that won’t deter Mendez, however, who believes his fighter can move up to 185 pounds and rule the roost there. If welterweight doesn’t become an option for Makhachev due to his teammate, Belal Muhammad, running the division, then a middleweight run could be in the cards.
One retired UFC fighter believes Alex Pereira already has the accolades of a Hall of Famer.
Pereira is the reigning UFC light heavyweight champion. He also happens to be an ex-UFC middleweight titleholder. “Poatan” has just one loss under the UFC banner, and that was against his rival Israel Adesanya. After the defeat, Pereira moved up to the 205-pound weight class. He’s defeated Jan Blachowicz, Jiri Prochazka twice, Jamahal Hill, and Khalil Rountree.
One former UFC legend doesn’t believe that Conor McGregor will be fighting outside of the UFC again for a long time, and that’s if he ever does get the chance.
McGregor has long hinted at potentially stepping back into the boxing ring and even throwing hands under the BKFC banner. The “Notorious” one acquired minority ownership stake in BKFC and he’s teased possibly going one-on-one with Mike Perry.
One notable UFC lightweight contender is taking aim at Ilia Topuria for using the Conor McGregor playbook.
It’s no secret that Topuria loves the spotlight. While “El Matador” has shown humbleness after his fights, he never shies away from talking trash. As the reigning UFC featherweight champion keeps winning, he’s likely to see his stock continue to increase.
Rising UFC lightweight contender Paddy Pimblett could end up facing Michael Chandler next.
‘The Baddy’ hasn’t been seen since his clash with Bobby Green at UFC 304 in July. Heading into the bout, ‘King’ was seen as the biggest test of the rising Brit’s career. However, it took less than one round for Paddy Pimblett to submit the longtime lightweight, and earn himself a ranking at 155 pounds.
Tommy Fury puts the blame on Darren Till for the cancellation of their planned boxing match.
Fury and Till were expected to collide at Misfits Boxing 20 in early 2025. The fight was to be contested under traditional boxing rules. Till, a former UFC title challenger, threatened to go rogue and use MMA tactics on Fury. It didn’t take long after “The Gorilla’s” comments for the fight to be axed.
Jiri Prochazka is not concerned with the banter from Jamahal Hill.
Prochazka and Hill are scheduled to collide on the UFC 311 card on January 18th. It’s a crucial battle between two former UFC light heavyweight champions. Both men are coming off finishing losses to the current 205-pound ruler Alex Pereira, and are hoping to hold strong in the title picture.
UFC veteran Jim Miller has admitted that he still suffers from imposter syndrome despite his incredible run in mixed martial arts.
When it comes to legends in the UFC, few are bigger than Jim Miller. He is a cult hero at this point and even at this stage of his career, he’s still putting together highlight-reel moments. He’s an absolute gem of a fighter and a man, and we hope to see him stick around for as long as he desires.
