I am the future, says Darren Till ahead of welterweight title showdown

Darren Till is not lacking in self-belief as he looks to prise the UFC welterweight title from Tyron Woodley’s grasp in Dallas on Saturday night.

The Liverpudlian could become only the United Kingdom’s second UFC champion but reaching the top of the mountain seems to be only the start of his ambitions.

“It’s all about the future. The future is me and the future is September 8,” Till said in quotes on the UFC’s website.

“I haven’t just got a fight IQ and I’m clever, I’ve got that power, I’ve got that movement, I’ve got that timing. I’ve got it all. I know I’ve got it all, I’m not chatting s***, I’ve just got it all.”

Till, who has won 17 and drawn one of his 18 professional mixed martial arts contests, earned his opportunity against Woodley following a controversial points win over Stephen Thompson in May.

It was his first fight on home soil, having spent a large chunk of his career in Brazil.

Woodley himself struggled against Thompson, clinching a razor-thin decision win in March 2017 four months after their first bout was scored a draw.

The Missouri fighter, who boasts a record of 18 wins, three defeats and one draw, has not stepped foot in the octagon since July 2017.

Despite his confident demeanour, Till, who will have a three-inch height advantage, is not underestimating the threat of the champion ahead of the UFC 228 headliner at the American Airlines Center.

“I respect Tyron, he respects me as a fighter,” Till added.

“He’s a lot better since his last fight. Forget about the time off, he’s better than his last fight. Every fight we evolve, every day we evolve so forget the past.

“(But) he’s a champion looking at me as just a little dog snapping at the heels of a rottweiler.

“I’m not a little dog. I’m going to come in there and I’m going to bully him, I’m going to bully that title out of his hands. And that’s how I see it.”