Coach on Why he Told Darren Till Donald Cerrone Bout Was “Three Fights Too Early”, Before it Went Down

Darren Till jumped into the welterweight title shot mix back in 2017, after putting away Donald Cerrone in the opening round. But, as it turns out, Till’s head coach warned the fighter about what could transpire after the bout, before it took place.

Till was tapped to fight Cerrone, after he went 3-0-1 to begin his UFC run. Although Cerrone was coming off back-to-back losses to Jorge Masvidal and Robbie Lawler, due to “Cowboy’s” status, record and abilities, everyone knew that a win for Till would open the door to even bigger, high stakes fights.

Well, recently Till’s coach, Colin Heron, spoke with ESPN. While discussing Till’s decision to face Cerrone, he reported this.

“When we got offered Cowboy, I said to Darren, ‘This fight has come three fights too early, in my opinion,'” Heron said. “‘It’s the perfect fight where you’ll probably knock Cowboy out, and then they’re just gonna come at you. If you’re prepared to make this run, like you say you are, you’re not gonna get any breaks.’

“I kind of wanted that fight three fights later. It would have given us another 12 to 18 months in the background. But Darren said, ‘No, I want to go for this.’ And I said, ‘OK, I’m with you all the way, but it’s going to mean two or three years of nonstop work.’ And that’s what he’s done.”

So, this is pretty interesting to hear, even if it proved out to be the case really. Till faced and defeated Stephen Thompson seven months later in May, 2018. Then, he faced now former champ Tyron Woodley in September, and was submitted. This past March, Till was taken out by Masvidal.

Heron also acknowledged in the article (and it’s definitely worth a read) that Till’s private life “spiraled” after his KO loss to Masvidal. He also talked about the fact that Till’s become a huge star in England, and Heron said he agrees with Dana White’s contention they may have pushed Till too hard, too fast.Heron also reported, however, that he’s “happy” with where Till’s at now mentally.

So, all this just adds to the intrigue, in terms of when and who Till will face next, and how he performs. When you consider Till is only 26, however, and what he’s accomplished so far, his best days could very well be ahead. Whether that’s at welterweight or middleweight.

Till’s current record stands at 17-2-1.