Since 2019, Leon Edwards and Darren Till have been on quite the opposite career trajectories.
Both top-tier British fighters, Edwards (20-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) and Till competed on the same card in London in 2019, where Till headlined against Jorge Masvidal and Edwards co-headlined against Gunnar Nelson. Till (18-5 MMA, 6-5-1 UFC) was a fan favorite, whereas Edwards wasn’t too well received by his own home crowd. The pair even went at each other in the pre-fight press conference.
Fast forward four years later, and Edwards is UFC welterweight champion. Till? He’s lost four of his past five.
Both men have since reconciled their differences, and Edwards had nothing but words of encouragement for Till amidst his current skid.
“For me, I just want to see Darren do well, you know?,” Edwards said at a UFC 286 pre-fight press conference. “I feel like he’s a little bit lost as far as like what he’s doing and where he’s training. One day he’s in Thailand, one day he’s with Khamzat. But, yeah, for me, I just want him to somehow find his path, wherever it is.
“Either it’s back in Liverpool where he started or wherever he ends up and just get the confidence back in yourself that you had in 2019 where he thought he was the best in the world and just bring that back into his next fight. I wish him well.”
Edwards will headline his first U.K. show when he defends his title against Kamaru Usman in a trilogy bout, which headlines UFC 286 on March 18 at The O2 in London.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 286.