Tommy Fury-Darren Till Bout Canceled Over “MMA Tactics” Concerns

Boxer Tommy Fury has announced the cancellation of his scheduled fight against former UFC competitor Darren Till, citing Till’s threats to employ “MMA tactics.” Fury, who participated in Love Island in 2019, made this statement. The 25-year-old cruiserweight was scheduled to compete against Till at Co-op Live in Manchester in January. During a news conference held on November 19, Till had indicated he would violate boxing regulations by delivering a head kick if he found himself losing in the later rounds of the Manchester contest. Fury conveyed his decision via Instagram, stating: “I can’t believe I’m writing this but I am now not fighting Darren Till on 18 January 2025. For the one simple reason being that Darren has stated over and over that he does not want to abide by professional boxing rules and that if he is losing the fight he will resort to kicking and other stupid MMA tactics. I am a professional boxer, I have been out of the ring for over a year and I wanted this to be a great BOXING fight for the fans. I have wasted weeks in training camp.” Misfits Boxing, the scheduled promoter for the event, was contacted by BBC Sport for a statement but has not yet verified the fight’s cancellation. Should the bout proceed, it remains uncertain which governing body would supervise it, as it will not be sanctioned by the British Boxing Board of Control, nor is it clear if it would contribute to Fury’s official professional record. Till, a 31-year-old from Liverpool, amassed a record of 18 victories, five losses, and one draw across 24 contests during his mixed martial arts career. He participated in 12 events under the UFC banner and contended for the promotion’s welterweight championship in 2018. The UFC released Till in March 2023. In his boxing debut, he defeated Mohammad Mutie via technical knockout, though that fight was overshadowed by a large altercation after its conclusion and did not contribute to Till’s professional record. Responding to Fury’s withdrawal from the match, Till uploaded two videos containing expletives to the social media platform X, refuting the claim that he would violate the rules. Till stated: “I said I’d kick him in the head at the press conference as a mental warfare tactic and since then I haven’t said anything else. I’ve been hard at work boxing for two years, I haven’t thrown a kick in two years, I threw one kick on a video as a mental warfare tactic. Never in a million years would I throw a head kick in a fight that is only boxing rules. I stick to rules, I have always abided by the rules throughout my whole career.” Till further indicated that he is “still main eventing” on January 18 and that an “opponent is being found as we speak.” Fury, the half-brother of former heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury, holds an undefeated professional boxing record of 10 fights. His most recent bout was a points victory against YouTuber-turned-boxer KSI in October 2023. Fury also added: “We are working hard to get a new opponent and date. I promise to get a better opponent and better fight for you guys. Good news around the corner.”