UFC Removes 3 Fighters: Why Was Darren Till Released From UFC?

UFC fans are surely in for a shock as the company seemingly parts ways with Darren Till. But looking at his recent record, the action does not seem out of the blue. Till started out in the UFC as a promising youngster. However, his career quickly went sideways after losing to Tyron Woodley via submission for the welterweight title at UFC 228.

❌ Fighter removed: Darren Till

— UFC Roster Watch (@UFCRosterWatch) February 28, 2023

After that loss in 2018. Till has fought in the company 5 times and ended up losing 4 of them. His only win was against a struggling Kelvin Gastelum. Till is no doubt, a fan favorite. From his energetic walk outs in front of home fans to his extremely polished striking, Till was a talent to look out for. He impressed the MMA community so much that even the former middleweight champ Israel Adesanya wanted to fight him!

However, those days are long gone. After his back-to-back failures against Woodley and Jorge Masvidal, Till moved to middleweight. But the journey did not go how he expected. Since his move to 185 lbs, Till has lost to Robert Whittaker, Derek Brunson, and most recently to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 282.

Although Till had a glimmer of hope in the fight, du Plessis ultimately submitted him in the third round. It also marked Darren Till’s third loss in a row.

Aside from Till, UFC has seemingly removed Zubaira Tukhugov and Jose Johnson as well. Jose came into the UFC from Dana White’s Contender Series. But after two canceled fights, it looks like promotion is finally letting him go. Zubaira, on the other hand, is coming off a loss to Elves Brenne. He is teammates with the current lightweight champ, Islam Makhachev.

Fans react to Darren Till getting cut from the UFC

After Till’s luck ran out in the welterweight division, many thought a move to middleweight was just the move that his career needed. Unfortunately, it has not quite worked out that way. He never looked to be in the right shape for his fight. On top of that, several injuries have also plagued his career. But it was not all doom and gloom for Till.

The Liverpool native paired himself with one of the hottest UFC prospects, Khamzat Chimaev. Chimaev’s grappling skills require no introductions. Hence, many thought they would see an improvement in the Brit’s grappling skills. He even cornered Chimaev for The Borz’s UFC 273 fight against Gilbert Burns. However, the partnership did not have the desired effect on Darren Till.

If his last fight against Dricus du Plessis is anything to go by, Till’s wrestling has not improved much. It almost seemed like the fighting spirit inside him had gone out. Hence, the fans even wanted to see Till walk away from the sport. At present, it is unclear if Till decided to walk away himself or if the UFC cut him. Either way, it will be interesting to see what he does next. So what are the fans saying about the recent development?

Here are some fan reactions to the matter

I remember in 2017, thinking he’d become champion and would’ve had a super fight with this Adesanya 💔 pic.twitter.com/dSexvujjC0 https://t.co/9UK7bJFRMs

— wernerburner (@wernerburnerr) March 1, 2023

Not surprised but still surprised https://t.co/3CF8vdtiJP pic.twitter.com/UGlTV3bL3i

— Grant Miller (@GrantMiller87) March 1, 2023

This is lowkey shocking.

Darren Till still has name value and can still sell a fight.

1-5 in his last 6 tho.#UFC #MMATwitter https://t.co/aSNlOEUrTY

— Consensus Score (@ConsensusScore) March 1, 2023

kinda saw this coming, still semi surprised https://t.co/ZPyNCcwSIm pic.twitter.com/6f3QIa1QmS

— Pol (@polbulol) March 1, 2023

Crazy to think the opposite directions him and Robert Whittaker went after that banger of a fight.

Sad. Till used to be my favorite fighter. https://t.co/YYsCgB23Ss

— Jack McGuire (@JackMacCFB) March 1, 2023

Darren till wasn’t doing much but I’m surprised to see him go. Thought the @ufc was gonna keep like there keeping Cody. https://t.co/wy4wKQgDz3

— MMAFighting (@MMAFighting30) March 1, 2023

If this is indeed Darren Till’s farewell from the company, Till walks away with a UFC record of 6 wins, 5 losses, and 1 draw. His MMA record stands at 18-5-1. Currently, there is no official statement from either party regarding Darren Till’s apparent release.