Darren Till is taking a blunt mindset into his BKFC 90 debut. The former UFC welterweight title challenger told MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin that bare-knuckle fighting requires accepting the obvious: shots land, skin opens, and hesitation gets punished.
Till said he has been working with someone who already knows the sport.
“Got one of the guys out with me who’s had 13 bare-knuckle fights. So he obviously knows his way around. So no better person to learn from him.”
That led into his clearest answer about the mentality needed for this ruleset.
“I think in this bare knuckle, from me speaking my opinion, I think it’s a f*ck you attitude you’ve got to have. You’re going to get hit, you’re going to get cut and it’s going to hurt. So if that’s my only fear, there’s no sleepless nights. There’s nothing. Confidence level’s high.”
MMA Fighting shared the clip below.
Darren Till says it's a "f*ck you" attitude heading into his #BKFC debut at #BKFC90:
"You’re going to get hit. You’re going to get cut. It’s going to hurt. If that’s my only fear, there’s no sleepless nights. Nothing. Confidence is high."
(🎥 @DamonMartin) pic.twitter.com/Wzgc0Ukjtw
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) May 28, 2026
Till Says The BKFC Offer Fit His Style
Till repeated that the damage is part of the deal, not something he is losing sleep over.
“My only fear is getting hurt, cut, stuff like that. It’s a f*ck you attitude. F*ck you. Let’s have it. And what’s going to happen. Do you know what I mean? So that’s how I’m approaching this.”
He joked that money helped before explaining why the timing worked.
“What changed is me bank account’s got a few zeros in it these days.”
“The opportunity was just too good to pass. David been on me for a while. He spoke to me manager back and forth, obviously sat down with the team and like, Darren look, the time is now, you know, the offer is really good, and Darren look, it sort of fits your style, suits your style, the way you fight.”
Till started in Muay Thai before moving into MMA, then fought in the UFC at welterweight and middleweight. He challenged Tyron Woodley for the UFC welterweight title at UFC 228 in 2018. His MMA record is 18-5-1, with 10 knockouts, 2 submissions, and 6 decision wins. He is also listed at 3-0 as a professional boxer, with 2 knockouts.
Asked about the actual fit, Till did not guarantee anything.
“I’m not like a box and punch combination guy. I do hit hard. I’ve got big hands and stuff. So, you know, let’s see. I’ve said to everyone, look, it could go really well, but it could go badly. Who knows?”
He closed by pointing to his current condition.
“I just know that I’m in me prime years. I’m fit and strong. I’m in prime physical condition, especially with the team I have around I’ve acquired around me. Confidence levels are really high, Damon.”
BKFC lists BKFC 90 for May 30, 2026 at Utilita Arena in Birmingham, with Connor Tierney vs. Rico Franco as the event listing. The MMA Fighting excerpt frames this as Till’s debut but does not name his opponent.
