This past Saturday saw Liverpool’s Darren Till beat #4 ranked Kelvin Gastelum in his middleweight debut.
The fight took place on the biggest card of the year, with Jorge Masivdal beating Nate Diaz in Madison Square Garden at UFC 244.
The Team Kaobon fighter won the fight via split decision, earning 29-28, 30-27 on two of the judges scorecards, with Gastelum surprisingly taking a 30-27 card from the final judge.
The fight was arguably a must win for the Liverpool fighter and he did that, by cautiously picking his dangerous opponent apart with a variety of leg strikes and straight lefts.
MMA | @darrentill2 walkout at #UFC244 pic.twitter.com/IgLLDKf7CH
— MerseySportLive (@merseysportlive) November 3, 2019
The win has pushed him to #5 ranked in the middleweight division, with the very best in the division just ahead of him and champion Israel Adesanya at the top.
Here are the five fights that make sense for him next:
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Israel Adesanya
An unlikely outcome considering Till has just broken a two-fight losing streak, but a bout between the pair has seemingly been brewing since August last year and the fight would excite the fans hugely.
Speaking on ESPN’s Ariel Helwani Show on Monday, both men expressed interest in the fight. Till specifically called for the fight at Anfield for the title.
In terms of fight style matchups in the company, there are few that compare to this one. Two young accomplished strikers going head to head for the world title.
The fight is unlikely to happen next, but should make for an interesting one whether it happens next or in the future.
2. Robert Whittaker
A fight that seems the most likely and would surely guarantee him a shot at the title with a win.
Whittaker is the former champion of the division and just recently lost to Israel Adesanya for his belt. Despite the loss, Whittaker is still seen as one of the most dangerous and best in the division so would pose the threat Till needs to secure himself as deserving of the title fight.
The Australian would most likely like to stand with Till, which is the type of fight the Liverpudlian would like.
Pic by realistkilla under Creative Commons License
3. Jared Cannonier
A guaranteed title decider for the middleweight division.
Not the most exciting fight, but if Till wants to secure his second title opportunity in the sport’s biggest promotion, this is the fight.
The American has been on a run himself since moving to middleweight and is rightfully worthy of his #4 spot.
‘Tha Killa Gorilla’ isn’t a marquee fight that would give Till a huge amount of publicity, but one that is a surety to the title.
4. Edmen Shahbazyan
As Darren Till was once in the welterweight division, Shahbazyan is that now in the middleweight division.
At just 21 and at 10-0, Shahbazyan has attracted mass attention and is tipped to become a future title contender in the UFC.
Just this past weekend, Shahbazyan himself recorded a special headkick knockout over Brad Tavares in the staple performance of his career as of yet.
Not only would a fight between Till and Shahbazyan be an intriguing one, it would also have serious title implications for both.
5. Robbie Lawler
A what would be surprising fight if made, but one that would again excite fans. After a long stint at welterweight which included a championship for the American, he may now feel like it is time to move up weight.
Lawler spent a large amount of his career at 185 lbs, even fighting for the EliteXC and Strikeforce world titles at that weight, but never has in his second UFC run.
At 37 years of age, now could be the time to resurrect his career in a higher weight class and a fight with Darren Till makes perfect sense for both men.
A chance to beat a former UFC champion for Darren Till and a chance to move towards the top of a new division for Robbie Lawler with an exciting fight guaranteed.
After the win on Saturday, there are several fights that could be next, but with Till’s name involved, any fight will draw attention.
