Darren Till makes pro boxing debut at Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul event
Darren Till is ready to box.
Netflix and Most Valuable Promotions announced Wednesday that Till is set to make his boxing debut against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at the July 20 Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul event. Ariel Helwani was first to report the news.
Till, a one-time UFC welterweight title challenger who also competed at middleweight, has been working on a move to boxing since parting ways with the promotion February 2023. He holds an MMA record of 18-5-1.
His bout with Chavez Jr. takes place at 190 pounds over six rounds. This marks Till’s first fight since a loss to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 282, his third straight setback and fifth in six outings.
“I’m very happy to be a part of this event,” Till said in a press release. “Paul vs. Tyson is going to be one of the biggest events of our generation, and to make my professional boxing debut on it is brilliant. I’m very happy with my opponent. I’ve been a fan of his father for many years and I’ve been a fan of Chavez Jr. too - he is a great fighter who I respect, but make no mistake about it, I am coming to knock him out in the first round. I am happy with where I am in life, and I am coming to make a statement on Saturday, July 20 in Texas.”
Chavez Jr. (53-6-1, 1 NC) is coming off of long layoff, having most recently defeated David Zegarra in December 2021. He’s no stranger to MMA crossover bouts, having fought legendary UFC champion Anderson Silva that same year, losing by split decision to “The Spider.”
Also added to the July 20 card is a matchup between prized Most Valuable Promotions prospect Ashton Sylve (11-0, 9 KOs) and fellow undefeated fighter Floyd Schofield (17-0, 12 KOs).
Paul, who runs Most Valuable Promotions alongside Nakisa Bidarian, meets heavyweight boxing great Mike Tyson in the main event. The card takes place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and airs live on Netflix.