Darren Till failed to win his UFC comeback fight as he was choked out by Dricus Du Plessis in a back and forth fight.
Till, 29, was fighting for the first time in over a year against Du Plessis at UFC 282 in Las Vegas. The former welterweight title challenger was in desperate need of a win having lost four of his past five fights heading into the event, with his most recent defeat coming to Derek Brunson last September.
As the fight started, Du Plessis shot for takedown and jumped onto Till's back and the Scouser was taking some big punches on the ground. Du Plessis was hammering away whilst Till was pressed up against the fence and despite 'The Gorilla' being able to get back to his feet he was soon slammed back down.
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Du Plessis was close to locking in a rear-naked choke but Till fought the hands well to avoid being tapped out. After being dominated for the entire first round, Till had a late fightback and landed some heavy ground and pound of his own at the end of the opening stanza.
Till was getting the better of Du Plessis in the second round as the South African looked exhausted following his high output in the round prior. The Scouser was timing Du Plessis as he stepped into range by catching him with hard left hands and counter elbows. Du Plessis came close to securing a heel hook at the end of the second round but Till was saved by the bell.
Du Plessis landed a huge slam in the third round and found himself in full mount, reigning down punches as Till gave up his back. The South African wasted no time in sinking in the rear-naked choke and Till tapped out to lose his third consecutive fight. "In the last round, I knew the takedown was there," Du Plessis said ater his win. "I just beat Darren Till, how freaking awesome is that?"
'The Gorilla' was once backed to be the next British UFC star after Michael Bisping became the first fighter from the nation to win a UFC title, but injuries and frequent losses prevented him from fulfilling that high praise. Till has now lost five of his past six fights and has not won a fight since November 2019.
