UFC president Dana White recently revealed that English welterweight Darren Till (16-0-1) has been pulled from Orlando’s UFC Fight Night 127 card in February 2018 and instead will fight No. 2 Stephen Thompson (14-2-1) at a future Fight Night card in Till’s hometown of Liverpool, England.
Details are still being hammered out.
According to Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, White announced the fight at a Q&A in Santa Monica, California yesterday.
Just wanted to correct the schedule info. that @danawhite referred to regarding @darrentill2 last night …
— Lance Pugmire (@pugboxing) November 8, 2017
White said he's pulling Till from the 2/24 Orlando card and moving him in bout against @WonderboyMMA in Till's "hometown."
— Lance Pugmire (@pugboxing) November 8, 2017
While there's a March 17 Fight Night card in London, White specified Till would fight in his hometown, Liverpool.
— Lance Pugmire (@pugboxing) November 8, 2017
Here was White's quote: "So what you do is, I literally switch my whole schedule. I’m laying [stuff] out here I shouldn’t be talking about.
— Lance Pugmire (@pugboxing) November 8, 2017
…. We’re supposed to do this fight in Orlando. I’m pulling it from Orlando and I’m moving it out to his hometown in England."
— Lance Pugmire (@pugboxing) November 8, 2017
White later said he has a staff meeting today to hammer out the details of several fights, including @darrentill2 vs. @WonderboyMMA
— Lance Pugmire (@pugboxing) November 8, 2017
Apologize for the confusion on the @darrentill2 matter, obviously a star in the making, which White details in coming @latimessports story.
— Lance Pugmire (@pugboxing) November 8, 2017
Till leapfrogged to No. 8 in the welterweight rankings after an impressive TKO win over Donald Cerrone at UFC Fight Night 118 on October. He later took to social media to request a fight with Thompson.
Thompson recently decisioned Jorge Masvidal at UFC 217 last Saturday after losing to welterweight champion Tyron Woodley at UFC 209.