Darren evenA career in combat sports remains anything but normal.
Till competed in Saturday’s Social Knockout 3 event at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai against influencer Mohammad Mutie, and the exhibition match ended in drama.
During an exchange in the clinch, Till landed a rabbit punch to the back of Mutie’s head. It seemed insignificant, but Mutie acted as if he was seriously injured, falling to the canvas and needing the referee and doctor to examine him.
The contest was called off and shortly afterwards Mutie stood up and approached Till in a hostile manner. He got physical and started a fight with several others entering the ring. Eventually they separated and cooler heads prevailed, so both men made it to the center of the ring and Till got the TKO victory.
“That’s fighting — you get hit,” Till said in his postgame interview. “If you don’t want to keep fighting, don’t fight. He’s not a fighter. He’s trying to be a fighter. He’s a coward. Then, when I’m minding my own business, he comes and attacks me. I’m very sorry. I’m not that guy. I’m a respectful guy. I love fighting. I love Dubai, I’ve been coming here since 2016. I’m here minding my own business and he came and attacked me with his team. I have to defend myself, so I’m sorry about this, guys. I am.”
Till, 31, was originally scheduled to make his boxing debut against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on July 20 in Texas. However, when the main attraction of that card between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson was postponed, his fight was scratched.
The Brit then decided to accept the offer at Social Knockout 3, but later admitted that it was a completely unserious venture, as the results prove.
“I took this fight five days in advance against this coward – he didn’t want to fight,” Till said. “I just wanted to get in the ring and play. There are people who really want to fight. Jake Paul, Tommy Fury, Mike Perry. They’re all running away, those scared cowards. They don’t want to fight with me. I promise. I swear to God, I’m not a four-round, two-minute fighter. I’m an eight-round, three-minute fighter and I’m going to decapitate them.”
