Expectations were high for Darren Till when he entered the UFC and the Brit has proven to everyone to be worth the hype. Till, who is undefeated in his 17 professional fights, will now get the chance to prove he is ready to compete for UFC gold when he takes on Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson in Liverpool on May 27.
- Thompson is 9-0 in the UFC in fights when he has not surrendered a takedown.
- Thompson has never fought outside North America in his professional MMA career.
- Till is 2-0 in the UFC as an underdog – both victories coming by KO.
Of course, this is undoubtedly a step up in competition for Till and oddsmakers know this. Despite fighting in his hometown and entering this bout with all the momentum in the world, Till is a +140 underdog with Wonderboy coming back at -170.
Till is coming off a huge first-round knockout victory over veteran Donald Cerrone. In that fight, Till proved that he was ready to take on the fighters looked at as just a tier below the elite at welterweight. The Scouser is a good counter-striker who patiently waits for his opportunity to explode forward with a powerful shot.
Wonderboy is in limbo at 170 pounds after his draw and loss to champion Tyron Woodley. Now, Thompson needs to basically clear out a division stacked with talent to earn himself another title shot. Wonderboy owns a sixth-degree black belt in Kempo karate and a black belt in American kickboxing – which means his technical striking acumen is almost unmatched.
The distance between these two fighters is going to be the deciding factor in this fight. Wonderboy is incredibly good at keeping his distance with his lethal kicking game and keeping out of harm’s way. Till, though a good counter-striker himself, will likely want to close the distance a bit more and make Wonderboy use his fists rather than his kicks.
