Darren Till Breaks Down Grueling Bare-Knuckle Transition Ahead of BKFC 90 Debut [Exclusive]

Few fighters have ever had as anticipated a bare-knuckle boxing debut as Darren Till, who knows what lies in store ahead of him once the doors open at BKFC 90.

Fans know the 33-year-old Till for his 12-fight UFC tenure, which included a welterweight title fight and headlining the promotion's only fight card in Liverpool to date. Till bargained for his release in 2023 to pursue other interests, which led to his signing with the BKFC after a three-fight stint with Misfits Boxing.

After focusing solely on improving his boxing skills for the last three years, Till admits he is "excited" about the new challenges the BKFC presents. Specifically, he is fully prepared to become the face of the fast-growing sport.

"The guys in [the BKFC], they're no f---ing pushovers," Till told KO on SI. "Bare-knuckle is the bottom of what real fighting is. No gloves and stuff like that. It's the tough old sport, so I'm just excited. But as I've said, you know, I could go, go, go, but I'm excited to make my mark and become the face of the BKFC. I'm gonna become the face, aren't I? Mike Perry's run away. Conor [McGregor] doesn't fight. I'm the face."

Only 6 more days till @darrentill2.0 makes his awaited BKFC debut! 😈🫣😤#BKFC90 | Saturday | More info ➡️ https://t.co/LJX5urGkRW pic.twitter.com/8X4CzFQSOj
— Bare Knuckle FC (@bareknucklefc) May 24, 2026

Till flirted with the BKFC for years before finally putting pen to paper once the promotion sent him an offer he could not refuse. 'The Gorilla' admitted that while he has always been intrigued by the concept, the brutal nature of the sport and its high physical trauma risk made him hesitant to cross over during his prime athletic years.

Till finally caved when the BKFC sent him an offer he teased as the most lucrative of his fighting career. He will make his highly anticipated debut against former reality TV star Aaron Chalmers in the co-main event of BKFC 90 in Birmingham, England.

Darren Till pinpoints challenges of bare-knuckle transition

Since parting with the UFC, Till went 3-0 in Misfits Boxing before signing with the BKFC. As encouraging as his boxing success is, the Englishman admitted he struggled to adapt to the bare-knuckle style.

Till's biggest issue is one that all boxers deal with when making the bare-knuckle transition: hand trauma.

"Yeah, it's the hands. I don't know how these guys do this, really. Like, I'm a little pretty boy with the gloves on. I'm like, 'Don't hit my face,' but yeah, you really do have to secure your hands before sessions. You're nicking the bag into the husk kind of thing. I've got big paws, but I would say what happens in this bare-knuckle game is not your face getting busted up, it's definitely your hands. But you know what? I've been training since 19 in jiu-jitsu and stuff like that. The hands are molded."

Adjusting to the bone-on-bone impact is a hurdle any former MMA fighter or boxer faces in their first bare-knuckle fight. Former WBO 130-pound champion Jamel Herring spoke in depth about the details after his BKFC debut.

Unlike longtime boxers like Herring, Till has surrounded himself with BKFC veterans amid his transition. He recently joined forces with Rico Franco, who faces Connor Tierney for the interim welterweight title in the BKFC 90 main event.

"I've known about Rico for a while now, especially how much of an animal he is. So for me, if I want to be the best, I also have to learn and train with the best. So I asked him and his team a time to come, and he did. Anything you can take from anyone in this life, you should take it. No better man in this game than Rico."

Darren Till envisions bright future for BKFC after debut

The grueling demands of his BKFC transition have been a challenge that Till has wholeheartedly bought into. Fans have taken note of the Brit's inspiring work ethic ahead of his debut as a viral photo of his new physique circulates social media.

Darren Till looks SHREDDED for his debut next weekend at Conor McGregor’s BKFC show where he will fight Aaron Chalmers 💪 pic.twitter.com/3gFJ3JaUYm
— ACD MMA (@acdmma_) May 22, 2026

A bare-knuckle fight is far from a bodybuilding contest, but Till's new career is clearly getting the best out of him in the gym.

Once the ball gets rolling, the BKFC's newest contender knows he already has the star power to take the promotion to the next level. Till said he wants the sport to become "massive in England" and headline stadium shows in his home country. He admitted that it was his initial goal during his UFC run.

"I want to bring the BKFC massive to England, and obviously, I can be a big name that carries it, along with Conor. We could do stadiums and stuff like that. I always wanted to fight at Anfield when I was with the UFC. Is there still potential for that? Maybe, who knows. I brought the UFC to Liverpool. I don't get no f---ing thanks for it, but I did. I want [the BKFC] in the limelight now, as I've said."

BKFC president David Feldman has already teased the idea of potentially booking a well-known NFL stadium in the United States. If there is potential to reach that ceiling in Europe, Till is the fighter to take them there.

Till does not want just one stadium show during his BKFC tenure; he seeks two big-time events in the next year. If all goes according to plan, Till sees the company rivaling the biggest names in combat sports within a year of his debut.

"In a year's time, if I'm still with the BKFC, which I more than likely am, there's two stadium shows done. Look at the faces we've got. Conor's a partner; that's one of the biggest names in MMA. You've got me, you've got the likes of Rico. You've got our up-and-coming Joe Lister. That's where I see myself."

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