Darren Till secured a significant bare-knuckle win against Yoel Romero and may be on course for a title shot next. After five rounds, the judges unanimously awarded Till the victory with scores of 49-46. The matchup, featuring two former UFC title contenders, headlined BKFC 94 at Manchester’s AO Arena in England.
Both fighters started cautiously, with an uneventful first round as they gauged each other out. Till maintained distance effectively, landing a sharp, long-range jab. In the third round, Romero intensified his attack, closing the gap and engaging in the clinch. He launched looping punches while ducking his head, and just before the bell, he landed a powerful right hand that knocked Till to one knee and caused a cut below Till’s right eye.
Despite Romero’s relentless efforts to force a close-quarters battle, Till continued to use his reach advantage to control the fight. The clinches saw some brief, intense exchanges of short uppercuts, but Till’s effective striking from the outside ultimately earned him the unanimous decision win. After the fight, Till expressed his elation, saying, “I’m f*cking feeling on top of the world.”
BKFC champion Lorenzo Hunt entered the ring afterward and criticized Till’s performance, telling him, “You fought like a bitch tonight.” This sparked a heated verbal exchange between the two, setting the stage for a potential future bout.
With this victory, Till improves to 2-0 in BKFC and maintains an undefeated streak in combat sports since leaving the UFC in 2022. Romero drops to 1-1 in bare-knuckle boxing as he continues to explore various post-UFC fighting ventures.
Fan Take: This win solidifies Darren Till’s rise in bare-knuckle boxing and adds intrigue to the division with a possible Till vs. Hunt showdown. For fight fans, it signals a new era where former MMA stars are elevating bare-knuckle as a compelling and competitive combat sport.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
