Darren Till Admits Luke Rockhold Wasn't First Choice for X Series 22: “I’ll Fight Anyone”

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – Darren Till returns to the ring this Saturday in a crossover bout against former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold, but according to Till, Rockhold wasn’t his first choice — or even his second.

Till revealed in an interview with MMA Fighting that he originally targeted Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal before ultimately being paired with Rockhold for X Series 22, airing live on DAZN from the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday, August 30 (11 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. ET).

The 32-year-old Liverpudlian made his professional boxing debut earlier this year under the Misfits banner, stopping Anthony Taylor in January and then outpointing fellow UFC veteran Darren Stewart in May. Now, he takes on Rockhold, 40, who makes his professional boxing debut after a storied — and turbulent — combat sports career.

🔥 Till Wanted Diaz or Masvidal First

“Nate Diaz was the one that called for the fight,” Till explained. “He named the time, place, date, weight, everything. I just said yes… but then he pulled out.”

Till then set his sights on Masvidal, even FaceTiming his old rival in Thailand. “He showed me his belly and it looked like he was having a really good time,” Till said with a laugh. “Maybe that fight doesn’t happen. But I’d love to get that fight back because Masvidal knows I’ll knock him out if we fight.”

The Scouser has long sought redemption for his 2019 knockout loss to Masvidal in London, a turning point in both men’s UFC careers. Till admitted he still wants that fight someday but accepted that Masvidal wasn’t ready for August.

🤝 Why Rockhold Made Sense

With Diaz and Masvidal unavailable, Misfits turned to Luke Rockhold — a former Strikeforce and UFC middleweight champion, who retired from MMA in 2022 after losses to Paulo Costa, Jan Blachowicz, and Yoel Romero. Rockhold briefly fought in bare-knuckle boxing in 2023, where he lost to Mike Perry via TKO after suffering a brutal dental injury.

“Misfits owed me a big fight, a pay-per-view fight, so they had to come through with a big name,” Till said. “Luke is a former world champion — you don’t get to that level without being a formidable opponent. I was extremely happy with the match-up.”

Till also admitted his “fight anyone” mentality has cost him in the past: “This is probably my downfall. I don’t see fighting as pick and choose. I should have done that more in my UFC career. But I’m just willing to fight whoever they put in front of me.”

📊 Career Context

• Darren Till (32): Former UFC welterweight title challenger, last fought in UFC in 2022 (loss to Dricus Du Plessis). On a three-fight losing streak before transitioning to boxing.
• Luke Rockhold (40): Former UFC and Strikeforce middleweight champion. Retired from UFC after a three-fight skid, later fought (and lost) in bare-knuckle boxing. Making pro boxing debut.

🎙 MainEvent.News | Backstage Take

This fight represents more than just two ex-UFC names meeting in a boxing ring. For Till, it’s a chance to rebuild his star power in combat sports after several setbacks, while keeping alive the dream of money fights with Diaz and Masvidal. For Rockhold, it’s a late-career reinvention — an opportunity to prove that, despite the brutal ending to his MMA run, he can still compete at a high level.

The matchup isn’t the blockbuster Till initially wanted, but it has genuine intrigue: a younger, aggressive Till with something to prove against a seasoned, battle-worn Rockhold trying to find redemption. With Misfits’ crossover stage and DAZN’s global platform, X Series 22 might deliver a storyline bigger than anyone expected.