Darren Till and Darren Stewart squared off in the main event of Misfits Boxing 21 at Becketwell Live in Derby, England on Friday, May 16. The contest featured the former UFC fighters in an all-English bout at cruiserweight.
The scheduled eight-round matchup went the full distance. Till took the victory, defeating Stewart by unanimous decision. Two judges scored the fight 77-74, and one judge scored it 77-73.
The highlight of the fight saw Liverpool’s southpaw Till twice sending London’s Stewart to the canvas. The first knockdown came from an overhand left in the opening round. The second knockdown came in the final second of the last round, from a straight left, after Stewart got caught in the ropes and was hit on the exit.
Over the course of the fight, Stewart was predominantly on the front foot. In the early rounds, Till was more precise with his punches, landing quick shots. In the fourth, fifth, and sixth rounds, Stewart was putting on pressure. The eighth round saw an exchange, with Till once again being quicker, delivering that last-second blow that sealed the deal.
With the victory by unanimous decision, Darren Till improved his boxing record to 2-0, 1 KO, and remained unbeaten. During his MMA career, the 32-year-old secured a record of 18-5-1.
34-year-old Darren Stewart, who also holds a 16-10, 2 NC record in MMA, didn’t succeed in his Misfits Boxing debut and dropped to 0-1.