Darren Till and Luke Rockhold may not have crossed paths during their tenures in the UFC. They are meeting, nonetheless, in a boxing ring. The two former MMA stars are set to headline Misfits Boxing 22: Ring of Thrones on August 30 at Manchester’s AO Arena. Till, who transitioned to boxing in January 2025, remains undefeated with wins over Anthony Taylor and Darren Stewart. For Rockhold, however, this marks a bold leap into unfamiliar territory.
Despite making his boxing debut, Rockhold remains confident about his chances against Till. The pair met in a recent press conference, which turned into a physical altercation. Things became even spicier when Rockhold appeared in an interview with Helen Yee, claiming he would be open to some rule change if the need arises. “If Darren wants to throw kicks, we can throw kicks,” Rockhold said. “No disqualification for kicks as long as he throws first.” Now, the ex-UFC middleweight champion has issued another challenge.
“Proper fight or boxing. Either way you want it,” Till wrote on Instagram, sharing a series of photos that included shots from the press conference and behind-the-scenes moments. Till quickly caught wind of the challenge and responded in the comment section of the post, noting that he prefers a boxing match. “I would like a boxing fight,” he wrote. “We don’t get paid for a proper fight, my friend.” It’s worth noting that this is not Till’s first boxing match, where using MMA tactics during the fight has come up.
In January 2025, Darren Till was originally slated to make his boxing debut against Tommy Fury. However, the bout was called off after Till, during a press conference in late 2024, jokingly—or perhaps not—claimed he might resort to MMA tactics, like kicking, if he found himself behind on the scorecards. The comments didn’t sit well with Fury, who withdrew from the fight entirely. As a result, Till had to find a new opponent for his debut, which ultimately came against Anthony Taylor.
Perhaps Till is looking to avoid repeating past mistakes—or maybe he knows that relying on MMA tactics against a fellow former MMA champion like Rockhold won’t do him any favors in a boxing ring. In the meantime, Rockhold’s former opponent has shared his prediction for the upcoming fight.
Mike Perry has zero doubt about Darren Till vs. Luke Rockhold
Mike Perry knows exactly who will win the upcoming fight between Darren Till and Luke Rockhold. Perry, who has tangled with both men in different ways, made his opinion loud and clear. “Unless Luke with gloves on is a new mythical fighter, I think [Darren Till] will win,” Perry stated on X, leaving little doubt about where he stands.
LAS VEGAS, NV – APRIL 4: Mike Perry attends the BKFC 41 official pre-fight press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz on April 4, 2023, at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas, NV. Photo by Amy Kaplan/Icon Sportswire BOXING: APR 04 BKFC 41 Press Conference Icon2304042105
Notably, Perry defeated Rockhold in the latter’s BKFC debut via TKO in 2023. Regardless, Till appreciated Perry’s confidence in him by responding to Perry’s X post, writing, “Thank you sir .” With Perry keeping a close eye on the fight, it could serve as the prelude to their long-teased showdown.
Mike Perry doesn’t seem too confident in Luke Rockhold’s chances, predicting trouble for him come fight night. But with a couple of months to prepare, Rockhold still has time to prove him wrong—though he’ll have to do it without the kicks and elbows he once relied on. The question is: can he adapt in time, or is Perry onto something?
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