Till is also acutely aware his foe is contemplating three consecutive losses for the first time in an 11-year career. It was a difficult two years, but life isn’t always about highs – there has to be lows as well.“The guy (Ayari) took 30 percent of my purse, and that’s no bother. At the start in Brazil it was horrible, with a different culture and people speaking a different language, but I gritted my teeth and got on with life. My body just wasn’t used to that cut anymore, so that’s why it happened, but I’ve come back and made championship weight, so I’ve just proved everybody wrong.”Unlike most prospects from the U.K. and Ireland, Till did not come to the UFC’s attention through shows such as Cage Warriors and BAMMA because his formative years as a mixed martial artist were spent in Brazil.At just 19, and on the advice of his coach at Team Kaobon, Colin Heron, he travelled the 6,187 miles from Liverpool to Balneario Camboriu in southern Brazil. Before that, Till had last fought in a “Fight of Night”-awarded draw with Nicolas Dalby at Dublin’s 3Arena in October 2015 – the lone blemish on his record – and the lack of income in the interim was particularly arduous for the father of one. But I settled, got myself together, and it was fun, and now I consider Brazil a second home.”He went 3-0 as an amateur before turning pro and, aside from his debut, not one of Till’s first 12 pro bouts went the distance.The striking standout explained that the main difference between regional circuits in Brazil and Europe is that a fighter could compete on a weekly basis in the South American nation, such is the frequency shows are staged there. “It really was a bad injury, and it required surgery, which is why I was out for so long,” Till said. The youngster smells blood in the water.“He’s got to come in and win because he’s on a losing streak, but I’ve got to come in and prove who I am,” Till said. It’s a big sacrifice, but it’s worth it.”Till’s rapport with Heron, who founded Team Kaobon, goes far beyond that of master and student. “As I’ve said, I want to be the greatest, and that comes with responsibility and sacrifice. He wound up staying in the South American country for three and a half years despite initial plans for a six-month stay. It was all thanks to Colin. At UFC Fight Night 67 in Goiania, Brazil, the Englishman disposed of de Oliveira with a vicious, elbow-laden second-round knockout.The victory was accompanied by great elation and an even greater desire to succeed, which was significantly heightened given Till’s daughter had been born during his stay in his adopted homeland.“Ever since I got that first win, I’ve known that I’m going to be one of the pinnacle fighters in the UFC,” Till said. According to the 27-year-old Muay Thai stylist, he fought "multiple bouncers and patrons" at a club during a party in August 2012. “I’d always tell my friends and family that I was going to be this and that, and they’d listen to me, but I don’t think they ever believed it. The circumstances that precipitated the bold move were of the gravest kind.“I got stabbed twice in the back,” Till explained. This is all for her and me and her mother, because I want us all to have a good life.“When I see myself getting paid good money by the UFC and I know my daughter is watching me on the TV, it’s all worth it in the end, to be away from her for that much time. Darren Till: Title shot - Full documentary (2018) - YouTube “If you can’t handle them things then you shouldn’t bother fighting and you may as well quit. The relationship I have with him is like no other. It’s still a bad move and he shouldn’t have taken the fight against me, because I’m a gorilla.”As you’d expect from a person with such unflappable self-belief, Till is no way perturbed by the prospect of closing out a show or, for that matter, potentially fighting 25 minutes. “This is for me to now build my name, and I’m going to build my name off Donald Cerrone.“I’m over the moon, and I can’t stop thinking about the opportunity the UFC have given me. It’s all just obstacles for us. I went in to have a fight with the guys who were fighting my mate and some guy came up behind me and stabbed me twice. Till spent most of his early MMA career in Brazil under the guidance of Astra Fight Team.Till faced Brazilian Wendell de Oliveira Marques in his UFC debut on nine days notice at After a significant shoulder injury and various personal issues kept him out of action for an extended period of time, Till returned to face On 1 August 2017, Till announced that he had signed a new, five-fight deal with the UFC.Till faced former UFC Welterweight title challenger Despite talks of a potential move up to Middleweight, Till stayed at Welterweight and faced On 26 August, it was announced Till will be returning to the middleweight division, facing Till was involved in a fight at a party in August 2012 and was stabbed twice in the back, after confronting a group of men.On 21 April 2019, it was revealed that Till had been arrested in Till has three daughters, Isabella (born 2014), Zara (born 2018) and Raya (born 2020).Till was once involved in a stabbing incident that left him with two scars on his back.