Dana White says UFC may have pushed Darren Till too soon
Darren Till seemed to have everything going for him. After he knocked out Donald Cerrone, he put his name into the rankings as a legitimate contender at welterweight. Then, he was the main event of another card in Liverpool where he beat Stephen Thompson by decision. Following the win, Till got a title shot against Tyron Woodley at UFC 228 but was dominated from start to finish and submitted.
Till then had to go back to the drawing board where in March he took on Jorge Masvidal who knocked the Englishman out cold. He is now on a two-fight losing streak and UFC President, Dana White says they have rushed him too soon.
“I think Till went back to the drawing board,” White said to ESPN. “He’s a young guy. After the win over (Donald Cerrone), we may have pushed him too soon. It happens sometimes when a guy gets that much steam behind him. Pump the breaks a little here. Let him get back and work on the things he needs to work on. He’s going to be around.”
“You come in and beat a guy like ‘Cowboy,’ and boom, you immediately get bounced right up into the middle of the rankings,” White added. “(For) some people it’s the perfect time and (for) some people (it’s) a little soon. That weight division is nasty. It’s like murderers row in that top eight.”
Now, Till has been sidelined since his knockout loss and there is no fight news on when he will return. And, according to White, he isn’t sure when he will return either.
“We’ll give him some time, look for a next opponent, and see what’s next for him,” White said.
In the end, Darren Till is still a top welterweight but weight concerns continue to plague the young fighter. And, whether or not he moves up to middleweight next is still unknown according to White.
