"The Future."
Those are the two words that
UFC President Dana White used to describe Darren Till immediately after the Liverpool welterweight's breakout victory over Donald Cerrone in Gdansk last month.
Till, who hails from Walton, needed just one round to shatter Cerrone's nose and put the entire 170lbs division on watch as he stopped the veteran in brutal style.
The win moved the 24-year-old up to eighth place in the UFC's official welterweight rankings and it was with a keen eye that Till watched Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson claim a unanimous decision over Jorge Masvidal on the main card of UFC 217 last weekend.
https://twitter.com/darrentill2/status/927017699624083456
Well from Till's fingertips to Dana White's eyes, arguably the two best strikers in the entire division have been paired up, with the winner set to enter the title picture.
Till's superstar quality has convinced White to move next February's event from Orlando, Florida to England, so that Till can fight 'Wonderboy', according to LA Times reporter Lance Pugmire.
https://twitter.com/latimespugmire/status/928110933196521473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bloodyelbow.com%2F2017%2F11%2F7%2F16622320%2Fufc-orlando-england-darren-till-vs-stephen-thompson-february-welterweight-mma-news
https://twitter.com/latimespugmire/status/928111529349677056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bloodyelbow.com%2F2017%2F11%2F7%2F16622320%2Fufc-orlando-england-darren-till-vs-stephen-thompson-february-welterweight-mma-news
It remains unknown which UK city will host the tantalising stand-up battle on February 24 but if Till is set to return to his native Liverpool, the UFC will have to take the Echo Arena slot from European promotion Cage Warriors, who already have that venue booked for that particular date.
British fight fans will be spoiled in the early months of 2018 because not only will Till fight for the first time on UK soil in February but the Octagon will also set up shop in London's O2 Arena on March 17.
