Darren Till says he will take some time away from competing following his loss at UFC 282.
The Liverpudlian went down to Dricus Du Plessis by third-round submission and is now unsure what to do with himself after his third straight loss.
Till said in a video shared on his social media that he may have over-trained during his fight camp, adding to the rumours of an ACL injury, and plans to spend the holidays with his family.
READ MORE: Darren Till endures third straight defeat after UFC 282 submission
He said: “I train like a man demented. The past 13 weeks I’ve given my all and I’ve given my all to the sport and now I don’t know what to do, but I think I’m going to have a bit of time off from the UFC and rethink stuff.
“I want to fight soon, next year. But I just want to spend Christmas with my family and have a good time with my friends and everyone who supports me”
Till rose to fame earlier in his career when he made a surging run through the welterweight division. At 25, he was already fighting for UFC gold and although he fell short, Till had become one of the most charismatic stars in the promotion.
Now on the brink of 30, Till is on the biggest losing streak of his career.
“You don’t always get what you want in life, I’m 29 now, I’ve been at the top of this sport since 2017," he continued.
“I’m on a bit of a losing skid at the moment. I’m not finding my ways. It's crazy because when I’m in the gym sparring with the best guys in the world I’m truly in my element and then when I step into the octagon, I just can’t seem to put things together.”
‘The Gorilla’, now a middleweight, made the jump from 170 pounds in 2019 and it probably hasn’t gone as well as he would have hoped. Till’s opponent Dricus Du Plessis had previously said he thought that Till’s move to middleweight was a mistake.
Du Plessis said during the UFC media day during fight week: "I think he was a force at 170. He was a big 170, he was imposing his style on people. Once you get to the big boys at middleweight, it’s a completely different
“I think he saw the move up to 185 as, 'oh, I can let it down. I don’t have to eat as perfectly. Those sessions where I really don’t feel like it, I don’t have to do the extra work, because my weight’s going to be fine’. When you’re cutting that weight, you almost feel obligated because if you don’t go do the session, you’re not going to eat. I think he took the move up as almost an easier route, and that’s not the case at all.”
