Darren Till is not closing the door on a potential UFC return.
Till has found success after his UFC exit through boxing and bare-knuckle boxing. He defeated fellow former UFC fighter Yoel Romero by unanimous decision in Saturday's BKFC 94 headliner at AO Arena in Manchester, England.
Till (18-5-1) headlined the UFC's first trip to Liverpool in 2018 when he edged out Stephen Thompson in the main event. That led to a welterweight title shot against Tyron Woodley at UFC 228, but he fell short when he was submitted in Round 2. He would go onto lose four of his next five before opting to part ways with the UFC.
Never fulfilling his goal has left a sour taste in the Liverpool native's mouth.
"It's hard because I'll never take it out. It's in me for life,
the thorn," Till told Eze Talks Sports. "I tried, and I failed. It's the truth. I got there. I was the first person in Liverpool to bring the UFC to Liverpool and fight for a world title. You know, I've got that. Look, I wish whoever in the future the best. Whoever's going to win the world title from Liverpool, whether it be Paddy (Pimblett) or anyone else, you know, I'm one of them people. I want people to do well. But I'll never take that thorn out of me. I got there. I got to the pinnacle. I never won the world title.
"So what? My manager doesn't want me to go back, but if I go back, yeah, I'll give it one last shot. But I'm 33 now. I'm still young, I'm still fruitful, I haven't took no damage – where some of these fighters have took a lot of damage. It's there, and I can't take it out. But so what? That's a part of life and I'm not going to sit here and moan. Look, I'm on to big things now. I've got my team, my family around me. I've just got the best team around me. So wherever this bareknuckle goes, and after that, pro boxing or Misfits or back to wherever, let's just see."
For now, Till is targeting another ex-UFC fighter in Mike Perry, who has also thrived since leaving the UFC. Till has dreams of selling out Anfield Stadium in his hometown of Liverpool.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Darren Till: Never winning a UFC title a thorn 'in me for life'
