‘It’s Just A Testament To My Will’: Darren Till Looks Forward To Fight Against Derek Brunson

English talent Darren Till believes that he will shine once again Saturday.

Till (18-3-1 MMA, 6-3-1 UFC) is hitting the octagon for UFC Fight Night 191 to go against Derek Brunson (22-7 MMA, 13-5 UFC) in a 185-pound division clash. He said despite going through injuries, he’s just glad to be back competing.

“I’m just happy to be here,” Till said. “It’s tough. It’s tough to have injuries and go through camps after camps and spend a lot of money and, you know, obviously have to pull out…

“But it’s just – it reminds me a lot of like when Dominick Cruz was getting a lot of setbacks and injuries,” he added. “You’ve just got come through them, and you’ve got to come through them, and here I am a few days before, and I’m a very happy man.”

Till was considered one of the most talented European fighters.

He almost earned UFC gold. The first main event for him was against Donald Cerrone. He defeated Cerrone in the first round via TKO. After that, he defeated one of the best strikers in the UFC Stephan Thompson.

Earning these victories and the hype around him was enough to earn a title shot against former champion Tyron Woodley. But he was defeated in the second round. Woodley landed huge overhand and finished him via brabo choke.

Since suffering the first defeat in his pro-MMA career, he suffered another loss against Jorge Masvidal. In the first round, he dropped Masvidal, but he suffered a huge KO loss in his hometown in the second round.

After changing his weight category, he defeated Kelvin Gastelum but suffered defeat against former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. Till suffered massive injuries, taking a long time to recover.

“It’s been a test, obviously, but it’s just a testament to my will,” Till said. “Like even this camp, I’ve had injuries, and I think I speak for every fighter, we all get our injuries. It’s just how you get through them. But as time goes on now – and as I’m getting older and as I’m getting wiser, hopefully – I know I’ve got a purpose in life, and I keep saying this all week, like, I wake up with purpose, and I know what I want and what I want to be and who I am – just all that stuff together.

“It’s just, like, I’m out for something, and I’m not going to stop until I get it, so no injury, no whatever can stop me on this little journey I’m on, and it’s my journey, and there’s people on it,” he added. “There’s people who come on the journey and then come off the journey, and it’s sort of like the hype train thing. But I’m driving towards something, and I’ve got so much motivation for it.”