UFC middleweight contender Darren Till has named who he believes the next UK fighter to claim UFC gold will be.
Till is planning a UFC return for later this year after losing back-to-back fights at middleweight. He’s been seen training with rising star Khamzat Chimaev as he plans a potential rise back into the middleweight title picture.
Till is in London ahead of the UFC’s Fight Night event this weekend, headlined by a heavyweight matchup between Tom Aspinall and Alexander Volkov. During a recent Fan Q+A session, he pointed to the next likely welterweight title challenger to Kamaru Usman as the next British UFC champion.
“Probably Leon, probably Leon right now,” Till said.
Edwards has won nine straight fights, including most recently against Nate Diaz at UFC 263. He was supposed to face Jorge Masvidal at UFC 269 before Masvidal pulled out with an injury.
Till was the headliner of the last UFC London card in early 2019 but went on to lose to Masvidal in a vicious knockout. He and Edwards shared some trash talk ahead of the event before Edwards earned a unanimous decision win over Gunnar Nelson.
But now, Till and Edwards seem to be cordial with one another and Till has long advocated for a title shot for Edwards. UFC President Dana White recently confirmed that Edwards will fight for the belt later this year.
Till Names Another Future UFC Champion From The UK
Till was also asked about his fellow countryman, Paddy Pimblett, ahead of his lightweight return against Kazula Vargas at UFC London. Till gave his thoughts on when he thinks Pimblett could earn a lightweight title shot.
“Two years, give or take,” Till answered. “He’s rising fast, he’s only had two fights. He’s killing it!”
Pimblett passed his first UFC test with flying colors, earning a first-round knockout of Luigi Vendramini in his debut last September. He was one of the biggest additions to the UFC roster in 2021 following a decorated tenure in Cage Warriors.
While Till isn’t afraid to give credit to his fellow UK fighters, he’s looking to get back on track with his next UFC outing. He’s been a targeted matchup for middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and is looking to get on another streak to earn another title opportunity.
Do you agree with Darren Till’s predictions?