On May 16, Darren Till defeated Darren Stewart at Misfits X Series 21, while also eyeing a potential fight with Jake Paul, who had a June 28 bout scheduled against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. The Misfits X Series 21 card (broadcast on DAZN) took place at Vaillant Live in Derby and was widely covered by outlets including DAZN and MMA Fighting. But even after Paul secured the win, a matchup with Till isn’t in the cards. Why? Because Jake Paul has consistently aimed for bigger names like Anthony Joshua or Canelo Alvarez. As a result, Till is now booked to face Luke Rockhold on August 30 — the bout will headline Misfits X Series 22 at Manchester’s AO Arena.
However, for Darren Till, the Misfits Boxing scene is currently a better deal than pursuing a traditional boxing career, and he made that clear in a recent conversation with Seconds Out. When asked if boxing was still part of his long-term plan, Till replied, “Yeah, I mean, I don’t know. I just want to take it in me stride now. I think in the next two years, if I still got that fire in me, I will probably go back. But you know, there’s bigger opportunity fights here in this Misfits now in this influencer scene. So I am willing to take the bag and run with it.” His words make it clear: for now, the money and exposure in the influencer-driven circuit outweigh the lure of a conventional boxing comeback.
LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 03: Darren Till interacts with the media during the UFC press conference inside the Orpheum Theater on August 3, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
The conversation then shifted to how Till views his position within this unconventional fight scene. The reporter pointed out that influencer boxing is chaotic even compared to MMA, adding that Till could easily become a target for other fighters looking to make a name. To this, Till downplayed his status, saying, “I don’t think I am the biggest fish. I think you still got to give that to Jake [Paul], KSI, Tommy [Fury]. Well, not Tommy. Maybe you know, I think Jake and KSI are still the two biggest fish.” By acknowledging the star power of figures like Jake Paul and KSI, Till positioned himself as a major player without claiming the top spot, yet still hinting at the threat he poses to anyone in the division. He also referenced how DAZN’s X Series model pays more frequently for crossover names, giving fighters a faster route to big purses than some traditional boxing paths.
Till’s own Misfits boxing record includes a sixth-round TKO of Anthony Taylor earlier this year — that win established Till’s crossover credentials before he faced Stewart.“Because I am fighting much regularly, like I am saving Misfits events and stuff like that, there’s going to be me third main event in the space of how long. It’s unheard of stuff like that,” he explained.
While he respects proven fighters like his opponents, Luke Rockhold, Darren Stewart, and Anthony Taylor, he’s blunt about the influencers: “They are not really competition for me. They are not a challenge… Like it’s just not happening. Luke’s a former UFC middleweight champion. Like his skills are legit. Don Stewart’s skills are legit… Some of these influencers, mate, come on. They just let them cause all the drama on my undercards.” For Till, the influencer names might bring attention, but the real tests still come from seasoned combat sports veterans. However, in the same interview, Darren Till also said that ‘El Gallo’ ticks all the boxes to be a “legitimate boxer.” But how exactly?
Darren Till gives Jake Paul unexpected praise
A few days ago, speaking to Seconds Out about former MMA fighters boxing names like Jake Paul and other influencers, Darren Till made a bold claim. “First of all, Jake Paul hasn’t been a YouTuber for like 15 years,” Till said. His timeline was a little off, as The Problem Child’s first boxing match came in 2018 against Deji Olatunji, and he turned professional on January 30, 2020, defeating Ali Eson Gib. This means Jake Paul has been boxing for just under seven years, not 15 as Till suggested. Still, Till urged people to stop labeling the 28-year-old as an influencer or YouTube boxer.
Image via Imago
“He’s a professional,” Till argued during the interview. “Well, not a professional. He is a legit boxer, he is trained by legit boxers, he trains like a boxer, he lives like a boxer, he breathes like a boxer.” His remarks reflect a clear stance that the 12-1 boxer’s dedication to the sport has moved him beyond the realm of social media novelty acts.
At present, Jake Paul is in talks for a potential fight with former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. If that bout materializes, it could strengthen Paul’s case as a legitimate boxer even further. Meanwhile, Till has enjoyed a recent resurgence in his own combat sports career after victories over Anthony Taylor and Darren Stewart, and he appears poised to continue in boxing, with Luke Rockhold’s debut under the influencer boxing banner on the horizon. That said, do you agree with what Darren Till said about Jake Paul?
The post Jake Paul and KSI Warned in Darren Till’s Fiery Rant Before Misfits Boxing Clash With Ex-UFC Champ appeared first on EssentiallySports.
