Darren Till is eager to fight on March 7 but has encountered a few hurdles trying to get there.
Till (18-2-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) was intending on stepping in for Robert Whittaker to face Jared Cannonier at UFC 248, but visa issues have kept him in limbo.
He explains that his U.S. visa has taken longer than expected due to an issue with his Electronic System for Travel Authorization application form, but even if he receives it on time, Cannonier is no longer an option after suffering a torn pectoral muscle.
With that in mind, Till now has diverted his attention to being a backup for the UFC 248 middleweight title fight between champion Israel Adesanya and Yoel Romero.
“I just want to fight March 7th,” Till said on “Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show.” “I’d just love to be the backup and just get out there and cut weight and just see what happens with that fight.”
Romero has a history of missing weight, most notably at UFC 221 for his UFC 185-pound interim title fight vs. Luke Rockhold. Though he ended up winning the fight by knockout, he was ineligible to win the title.
And while Till isn’t exactly expecting a mishap from either man in the headliner, he just wants to be there in case he’s needed and get to witness the fight live.
“I can’t see Yoel missing weight. I can’t see it, but you know how many people were so convinced I’d miss weight against Woodley, and they had Usman as a backup, you know what I mean,” Till said. “… I’d just love to be there and see that fight live. I can’t even go. I can’t even be a spectator. That’s what’s pissing me off so much.
“I’m not cutting weight. I’m just staying my weight,” Till added. “My weight’s been quite low anyway. I’m just keeping my weight as low as … I’m training hard twice a day. I’m just staying ready for anything, whatever and as soon as Mick (Maynard) said to me Jared was injured, I was like, ‘Ok, I’ll be the backup.'”
Till has only fought once at 185 pounds, but the former UFC welterweight title challenger could find himself one fight away from a title shot. For now, he hopes to resolve his visa issues, as he is dead set on competing in the U.S. for his next fight.
