NEW YORK – Darren Till doesn’t care if Kelvin Gastelum used underhanded weigh-in tactics to hit the middleweight mark for the UFC 244 co-main event.
Some high drama came out of Friday morning’s official UFC 244 weigh-in when Gastelum (15-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) was the final fighter on the card to step on the scale, successfully coming in under the divisional non-title-fight limit of 186. Upon further review of the footage, though, it appears Gastelum may have used his coach Rafael Cordeiro as a crutch to alleviate some of the pressure on the scale.
Gastelum and his team insist there was no foul play at hand, but even if there was, Till (17-2-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) said it’s of no concern to him.
“Everyone’s been sending me (the photos and videos),” Till told reporters, including MMA Junkie, during a media availability on Friday. “If he did or he didn’t, it doesn’t matter to me because my coach told me a long time ago, ‘Any man over 70 kilos (154.3 pounds) should be able to defend himself, especially in the octagon.’ So for me – I’ve seen the video. Did he or didn’t he? I couldn’t give two (expletives).
“It’s a fight. If he was five or 10 pounds over or he actually made weight, it doesn’t change anything. I’m here for what’s fair. I want to earn my fairly I don’t want no money, I don’t want nothing. I just want to (expletive) fight.”
Although Gastelum stole the headlines with his weigh-in, the days prior largely revolved around Till. The Brit had a difficult time getting to New York for UFC 244 due to visa issues, but ultimately got cleared and arrived on Thursday.
The late travel completely changed Till’s typical fight week routine, but he still made weight without issue and said he’s prepared to compete.
“I’m jet-lagged, but I’m here to fight,” Till said. “No excuses. Just go in there to fight and give the best of me. Keep doubting me. I couldn’t give two (expletives).”
UFC 244, which takes place at Madison Square Garden and airs on pay-per-view following prelims at ESPN2 and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass, marks Till’s debut in the middleweight division. He had a long undefeated run in the welterweight division, however, back-to-back losses prompted the move up to 185 pounds.
Till did not take an easy fight for his divisional introduction, either. Gastelum enters the contest as a noted betting favorite, but Till said he’s relishing the challenge ahead of him.
“In my opinion he’s top three at middleweight,” Till said. “If you look at the fight he had with the now current champ Israel (Adesanya) – I got in this to fight the best. There was an opportunity to fight Kelvin and I’m taking that road. … 90 percent of people writing me off saying this could be his third loss. I could give two (expletives).”
Darren Till 'couldn't give two (expletives)' about Kelvin Gastelum's UFC 244 weigh-in drama
