The main event of Misfits Boxing 21 featured Darren Till taking on Darren Stewart in an influencer boxing match held in Derby, England.
Darren Till aimed for his third professional boxing win, headlining his second consecutive Misfits event. He impressed in his debut in January, securing a sixth-round knockout against Anthony Taylor. Known as “The Gorilla,” Till was a UFC welterweight title challenger but hasn`t competed in MMA since leaving the promotion in 2022, holding an 18-5-1 MMA record.
Darren Stewart, also a former UFC fighter with a 5-7 (2 NC) record, made his professional boxing debut. His last MMA fight in March 2024 for Cage Warriors resulted in a second-round knockout loss to Carlos Pereira, ending a four-fight win streak.
Fight Recap
The fighters made their entrances. Stewart, all business, walked out in black shorts, gloves, and shoes. Till entered to “Roses” by OutKast, wearing dark blue shorts and black and red gloves. Following introductions, the fighters met for final instructions. Till appeared noticeably larger than Stewart. The gloves were touched, and the fight began.
Round 1: The fight started with Stewart in orthodox stance and Till as a southpaw. Stewart pressed forward, quickly backing Till to the ropes, leading to clinches and close exchanges. Till landed jabs and left hands, while Stewart worked effectively in tight, pressuring Till against the ropes. Till sought to land a significant left hand. Suddenly, Till adjusted, stepping forward and landing a looping left hand around Stewart`s guard, sending him to the canvas! Stewart beat the count but was clearly rocked. Till pursued, landing more shots as Stewart covered up, though credit to Stewart for firing back occasionally. Till maintained composure, looking to set up more left hands – landing straight shots and looping hooks. Stewart focused on defense and movement, offering little offense. Till landed an uppercut, countered by a powerless right from Stewart before the round ended.
Round 2: Stewart appeared recovered and resumed his forward pressure. Till remained focused, landing a left as Stewart backed him to the ropes. Stewart continued to crowd Till, finding some success with close-range right hands, making the fight `ugly` which suited him better than fighting at distance. Till landed a significant counter left that Stewart absorbed. Till seemed focused on a knockout blow, but continued to land shots as Stewart pressed forward, even switching stances. Till perhaps began to slow, becoming more selective with his punches, yet still landing left hands as Stewart advanced, ending the round with a clinch.
Round 3: Stewart immediately resumed his aggressive forward march. Till tagged him with a left but found himself often trapped against the ropes. Till showed signs of tiring as Stewart landed a good right and continued working in the clinch. Till`s footwork diminished, relying on the ropes and looking for counter knockout shots as Stewart relentlessly advanced. When Till created space, he landed effectively, including uppercuts. However, Stewart consistently closed the distance, landing right hands against the ropes. Despite Till landing a body combo when space allowed, Stewart`s relentless pressure was described as `Terminator-like`.
Round 4: Stewart continued charging forward, walking through Till`s uppercuts. Stewart landed a right and a left while Till was against the ropes. Till`s offense became less varied, mostly single shots or defense. He began targeting the body with uppercuts, seemingly recognizing he wouldn`t knock Stewart out. Stewart remained resilient, landing clean right hands to Till`s head. The action paused for a suspected low blow (appearing borderline), and upon resuming, Till was noted to be bleeding.
Round 5: Till attempted to use his jab to create distance, but Stewart again pressed forward, forcing Till onto the ropes. Till appeared to find a second wind, working his hands up close. He landed a significant left, but Stewart responded by cracking Till with a hard right hand that forced Till to cover up. Till seemed to have less power now, and Stewart landed again. Till began jabbing and moving, constantly retreating. Stewart smiled and seemed confident. Till landed a solid uppercut to the body and a left, but Stewart absorbed them and returned fire, landing a right hand. Stewart was even seen talking to the crowd during a clinch. They continued to trade shots inside, with Till utilizing an old-school tactic of keeping his lead hand on Stewart`s head before throwing the left. The commentator noted the fight was surprisingly fun.
Round 6: Stewart immediately resumed the attack, but Till initially tried to stand his ground and trade before eventually retreating to the ropes. Against the ropes, Stewart continued his relentless body work. Till attempted to return fire inside, which Stewart welcomed. Stewart landed lighter shots as Till focused more on covering up. Till landed some lefts, but Stewart stayed close, landing right hands. Till`s increased defense allowed Stewart to land more freely. Despite the rough start, Stewart was praised for his resilience. Both fighters seemed to be losing power, but were seen talking and appeared to be enjoying the contest.
Round 7: The fight began to resemble a sparring session, with both fighters showing mutual respect and enjoying the process. The power seemed to have diminished, allowing them to absorb punches without significant damage. Stewart continued to press, pinning Till to the ropes. Till`s attempts to deter him with power shots were unsuccessful. Close-quarters `phone booth` fighting dominated. Till found success landing body shots when he could pivot away, but Stewart consistently closed the distance. Both fighters threw hard shots, but Stewart appeared to possess greater determination, landing a clean right hand and relentlessly grinding Till down.
Round 8: With three minutes remaining, Stewart pressed for a potential finish, pinning Till to the ropes. Till, knowing the fight was winding down, showed spirit, landing hooks and a left. Stewart briefly lowered his hands playfully, while Till showed improved movement, avoiding being cornered. Till was bleeding near his right eye. He landed a sharp left as Stewart advanced, but Stewart continued forward, landing his own right. Till found space and landed a significant left, yet Stewart remained incredibly durable. The final minute saw clinching and trading. Stewart landed a right, again backing Till, but Till responded with clean right hooks and uppercuts. As time expired, with Stewart seemingly waiting for the bell, Till unleashed a perfectly timed left hand to the temple, sending Stewart staggering and nearly through the ropes. Stewart beat the count, but the late knockdown likely secured the round and the decision for Till.
Official Result
The fight went the distance. Official Result: Darren Till defeated Darren Stewart by unanimous decision (77-74, 77-74, 77-73).
Post-Fight Comments
Following the bout, Till praised Stewart, highlighting that fighters can have a `war` without disrespect. He called Stewart `incredibly tough,` stating he `couldn`t budge` him even when knocking out heavyweights in training. Till then called out KSI, expressing interest in fighting him at weight, referencing KSI`s win over Tommy Fury. As an alternative, Till proposed he and KSI could team up to face the Paul brothers.
