Darren Till has warned his friend and UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall that signing with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Talent Agency could cause problems with the UFC.
What Till said on Ariel Helwani’s show
On The Ariel Helwani Show, Till spoke openly about Aspinall’s decision to sign with Matchroom last month. The two men are close friends from Liverpool, and Till said he would give Aspinall the same blunt advice in private as he did on air.
Till told Helwani he thinks the move was “a bad move” because it could put Aspinall in a difficult position with the UFC and Dana White. He warned that the promotion might react by doing small things that could undermine the champion.
Why Till is worried
Till said he does not think Aspinall was used or misled. He believes Aspinall made a deal that is good for his family and will likely bring him money. Still, Till worries that having a powerful outside agent like Eddie Hearn could change how the UFC treats the champion.
The warning echoes recent events. On the day of UFC London in March, Dana White texted Aspinall at 6 p.m. asking if he wanted to attend, even though Aspinall lives about five hours away. The champion has also been passed over in promotion while Ciryl Gane and Alex Pereira are set to fight for an interim title on June 14.
On boxing vs MMA
Till also pushed back on the idea that MMA fighters can move into boxing easily. He said MMA boxing is different from pure boxing. Till argued that fighters often train boxing for MMA, which uses a wider stance and different shots. He named Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje as rare examples who use boxing skills effectively inside MMA.
Tom Aspinall is still not cleared for contact training after double eye surgery following his fight with Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 last October. Till himself is moving into bare-knuckle boxing and has a BKFC debut set for May 30 after signing a multi-fight deal.
What comes next
Till says he will always be honest with Aspinall. The coming weeks will show if the Matchroom deal affects how the UFC promotes and treats its heavyweight champion. Fans will also watch to see when Aspinall returns to full training and how the UFC handles the heavyweight picture with the interim title fight on June 14 approaching.
| Fighter | Recent Result |
|---|---|
| Tom Aspinall | Fought Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 (October); not cleared for contact training after double eye surgery |
| Darren Till | Signed a multi-fight BKFC deal; bare-knuckle debut set for May 30 |
