It’s hard to believe Darren Till was in a must-win situation after fighting for the welterweight title just over a year ago but that’s where he stood heading into UFC 244.
The 26-year old Liverpudlian opted to make the move up to 185 pounds after suffering two knockout losses in a row and immediately jumped into the deep end of the division by facing former interim title contender Kelvin Gastelum in his debut.
The gamble paid off with Till earning a split decision win over Gastelum in his middleweight debut with two scorecards reading 30-27 and 29-28 in his favor with the third going 30-27 for the former “Ultimate Fighter” winner.