The main event of Misfits Boxing 21 in Derby, England, featured a highly anticipated influencer boxing match between former UFC title challenger Darren Till and fellow MMA veteran Darren Stewart.
Entering the bout, Till aimed to maintain his perfect 2-0 record in professional boxing, headlining his second consecutive Misfits Boxing event. His previous outing saw him secure an impressive sixth-round knockout victory over Anthony Taylor in January. “The Gorilla” holds an MMA record of 18-5-1, though he hasn`t competed in the sport since departing the UFC in 2022.
Darren Stewart, who also previously fought under the UFC banner, holding a 5-7 (2 NC) record there, made his professional boxing debut. His most recent fight was in March 2024 for Cage Warriors, where he suffered a second-round knockout loss to Carlos Pereira, ending a four-fight winning streak in MMA.
The fight unfolded as follows:
Walkouts & Pre-Fight: Stewart made his entrance looking focused in all-black gear. Till followed, walking out to “Roses” by OutKast, sporting black and blue with red and black gloves. Both fighters were introduced to a relatively subdued crowd. Till appeared significantly larger than Stewart during their final instructions and glove touch.
Round 1:
Stewart, fighting orthodox, immediately took the center of the ring, backing Till (southpaw) to the ropes. After a clinch, Till found his range, landing a jab followed by a solid left hand. He landed more power shots, but Stewart effectively crowded him against the ropes, attempting flurries. Till patiently looked for an opening for a big left hand. Suddenly, Till stepped forward and landed a looping left hand around Stewart`s guard, sending him to the canvas! Stewart beat the count but was visibly unsteady. Till pressed the advantage, but Stewart showed heart, firing back while covering up. Till maintained control, landing straight and looping lefts, while Stewart offered little offense and focused on defense.
Round 2:
Stewart seemed to have regained his composure, coming forward again. Till remained sharp, landing a left hand when his back was near the ropes. Stewart continued to crowd the space, finding some success with a right hand. While making the fight messy, which suited him, Stewart was still getting caught at range. Till landed a big left counter as Stewart advanced, which Stewart absorbed. Till seemed focused on a knockout shot, perhaps neglecting variety, but continued to land frequently. Stewart occasionally switched stances. Till appeared to slow slightly, choosing his shots more carefully. Stewart kept advancing, landing a jab before a clinch at the bell.
Round 3:
Stewart resumed his forward pressure immediately. Till tagged him with a left but spent more time with his back near the ropes, appearing to tire. Stewart landed a good right hand in close. When Till managed to create space and use footwork, he landed effectively, including nice uppercuts. However, Stewart was relentless in smothering him against the ropes, landing a good right hand there. Despite a nice body combo from Till in open space, Stewart was like a “Terminator,” constantly moving forward.
Round 4:
Stewart charged forward. Till landed an uppercut, but Stewart walked through it, landing a good right and a left along the ropes. Till wasn`t working in combinations, mostly throwing single shots or defending. Stewart worked inside, and Till landed body uppercuts, seemingly realizing a knockout was unlikely. Stewart remained game, landing nice right hands to Till`s head. Till slowed down. There was a brief break for a low blow (though it appeared on the belt line). Till was now bleeding.
Round 5:
Till tried to use his jab early to keep Stewart off him, but Stewart walked through it and put Till back on the ropes. Till found a second wind, throwing in close. He landed a big left hand. Stewart then rocked Till with a nasty right hand, forcing Till to cover up. Till seemed to lose some power, and Stewart landed again. Till dug in, jabbing and moving, stepping back frequently. Stewart smiled and appeared confident. Till continued to work, landing a big body uppercut and a left hand, but Stewart kept coming, landing his own right hands. They traded shots inside, with Stewart even talking to someone in the crowd. Till employed an old-school tactic, leaving his lead hand on Stewart`s head before throwing the left. The round was surprisingly engaging.
Round 6:
Stewart resumed his pressure, but Till attempted to stand his ground and trade initially before giving ground again to the ropes. Against the ropes, Stewart worked the body. Till threw back when they were inside, and Stewart obliged. Stewart pumped in lighter shots as Till covered up more frequently. Till landed a couple of lefts, but Stewart stayed in his face with right hands. Despite the early knockdown, Stewart was giving a commendable performance, showing resilience. Power was fading for both men. They were seen talking to each other, seemingly enjoying the tough exchange.
Round 7:
The fight began to resemble a competitive sparring session, with both fighters showing mutual respect and enjoying the challenge despite lacking serious power. Stewart immediately pressured Till to the ropes. Till attempted big shots to deter him without success. Much of the action was in close quarters. Till pivoted out and landed well to the body before Stewart closed the distance again. Both swung hard. Stewart appeared to have more drive, landing a nice right hand and grinding Till down relentlessly.
Round 8:
With three minutes remaining, Stewart likely needed a finish. He continued his strategy of pushing Till to the ropes. Till showed renewed spirit, throwing hooks and moving better, trying to avoid being cornered. Till was bleeding near his right eye but landed a sharp left as Stewart came in. Stewart responded with his own right. Till created space and landed a big left, but Stewart seemed unfazed. After a clinch, Stewart landed a right on the restart, bullying Till back. Till countered well with right hooks and clean left hands. As time wound down and Stewart leaned over waiting for the final bell, Till lined up and landed a PERFECT left hand just as the bell sounded, sending Stewart staggering, almost through the ropes. It was a dramatic finish to the round and likely sealed the decision for Till.
Official Decision: Darren Till defeats Darren Stewart via unanimous decision (77-74, 77-74, 77-73).
Post-Fight: In his post-fight interview, Till commended Stewart, stating that they had an “absolute war” while remaining respectful. He praised Stewart`s toughness, noting that he`s “knocking out heavyweights in the gym and couldn’t budge [him].” Till then called out KSI, expressing a desire to fight him, acknowledging KSI`s win over Tommy Fury. Till also suggested a tag-team fight idea with KSI against the Paul brothers if a direct bout doesn`t materialize.
