“Blacked Out” Darren Till Apologizes to Security Guard He Kicked During Luke Rockhold Scuffle

Darren Till has his sights firmly set on becoming the first-ever MFB Bridgerweight champion, with nothing else distracting him ahead of fight night. In just a few hours, the Liverpudlian will headline Misfits 22: Ring of Thorns against fellow former UFC middleweight Luke Rockhold. Although both men share the same MMA background and years under the UFC banner, the buildup has been anything but friendly.

Darren Till, now 3-0 as a boxer, enters the ring with valuable experience, whereas Rockhold steps into his debut at 0-0. Moreover, Luke Rockhold must also contend with the added pressure of a hostile Manchester crowd, fully behind their hometown fighter. As fight week intensified, tensions boiled over at Thursday’s press conference when the Brit tried to rattle the former UFC champ.

Darren Till issues apology to security guard struck in chaotic Luke Rockhold staredown

During the chaos of the faceoff, he inadvertently threw a calf kick that floored a security guard. The guard winced in pain, and as a result, eight security members rushed in to break up the clash. Later, Darren Till addressed the moment during an appearance on The Stamping Ground. After watching the footage, he acknowledged his mistake and issued a public apology.

“I kicked him, did I? Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I blacked out. The poor guy just got properly shaky. I didn’t even realize—I was just focused on Luke and kept moving forward. Fair play to the security, they had to step in. I apologize, I’m sorry. I blacked out in the moment. Sorry, guys—my apologies.”

The bright lights of Manchester, the deafening roar of a home crowd, and the weight of expectation — few atmospheres can generate more pressure. For Darren Till, once billed as the Dana White’s UFC’s golden prospect, the stage is familiar, though his journey has been anything but smooth.

Meanwhile, across from him stands Luke Rockhold, a former middleweight champion whose name still carries weight in MMA lore. Over the years, his time at the famed American Kickboxing Academy produced legends — and stories, including the often-retold account of Islam Makhachev submitting him in training.

And that anecdote isn’t just lore—it still gets mentioned in locker-room corridors, a cautionary whisper that even greats can be unsettled. It shapes how fans still see Rockhold: as one of the most technically gifted fighters of his generation, with a career that plateaued after falling short in both welterweight and middleweight title pursuits. Ultimately, in February 2023, he chose to walk away from the UFC, requesting his release to chase new ambitions. Since then, boxing has become his next chapter.

In contrast, ‘The Gorrila’s rise plateaued after falling short in both welterweight and middleweight title pursuits. Ultimately, in February 2023, he chose to walk away from the UFC, requesting his release to chase new ambitions. Since then, boxing has become his next chapter.

Boxing brings Darren Till the stability MMA/ UFC couldn’t deliver

For decades, the UFC has stood as the center of gravity in mixed martial arts, with no rival promotion matching its global stature. The PFL has carved out space in recent years, while Bellator eventually merged. Under Dana White’s leadership, the UFC grew into a multi-billion-dollar empire. Still, its reputation for underpaying fighters lingers.

The UFC reserves pay-per-view bonuses for headline stars, while much of the roster takes home base purses starting at just $12,000. Darren Till lived that reality, and it’s one reason he now feels far more secure in boxing than he ever did in MMA. Speaking to Sky Sports, Till admitted: “When I could pay my council tax and stuff like that, I wasn’t struggling anymore like in the UFC.”

Still, he made it clear his UFC stint wasn’t entirely negative. Smart investments in real estate and business ventures have kept him financially stable. “I’m not broke, do you know what I mean? I’ve got a few properties, a few businesses, stuff like that. I don’t wake up in the morning hurting for money. But I should be way more comfortable than I am now.”

Boxing, however, has given Darren Till access to the kind of luxuries that once felt out of reach: “I drive a fancy car, I’ve got a nice house. I can buy nice things for myself—watches, stuff like that. But considering what I’ve given to the sport of fighting — I’ve been doing this 15 years now—I should be way more comfortable.”

With fight night now just hours away, the spotlight shifts to the ring. In his fourth boxing appearance, can Darren Till rise to the occasion and outbox former UFC champion Luke Rockhold in their high-stakes exhibition clash? Amid a charged arena and decades of back stories, the real question now: who handles the pressure better? Share your predictions below.