Whittaker Calls Out Till For London Fight

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker is looking to step back inside of the Octagon against newly-minted division contender Darren Till.

Whittaker, who lost his UFC middleweight championship to undefeated sensation Israel Adesanya at UFC 243 this past October (highlights HERE), remains one of the most talented 185-pound fighters on the UFC roster. Before his loss to “Last Stylebender,” Whittaker had won his first eight fights in the middleweight division, including two title wins over Cuban powerhouse Yoel Romero. Many were expecting Whittaker to ride that momentum going forward and become one of the UFC’s most dominant champions.

Now, the man known as “Bobby Knuckles” is looking to rebound from his recent knockout loss to Adesanya by fighting Till on enemy territory in London.

“That’s the fight I’m currently interested in,” Whittaker told The Daily Telegraph. “Plus I’ve never been to Europe before, so what better reason to go?”

Till, who rocketed up the welterweight rankings before suffering a submission loss at UFC 228 to then champion Tyron Woodley and then a brutal knockout loss to Jorge Masvidal at UFC London, made a successful 185-pound debut earlier this month at UFC 244 when he defeated former title challenger Kelvin Gastelum. It wasn’t the greatest performances we’ve ever seen from “Gorilla,” but it was a nice introduction for Till into the weight class he naturally belongs in.

With a win over Gastelum by his side and struggling weight cuts behind him, Till figures to claw his way into title contention sometime in 2020. A victory over Whittaker would arguably be the only win Till needs to get there, but a loss to the former champion would send the Englishman back down the divisional ladder.

For Whittaker, a win over Till would likely land him in a No. 1 contender’s bout as he tries to land a rematch with Adesanya.

Whittaker vs. Till is matchmaking made in heaven given their fan-friendly fighting styles and UFC would be stupid not to book it.