“I’m not retired, this is not a retirement speech. I’m 29, that would be stupid to decide,” Darren Till wrote on Instagram after suffering his third straight loss to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 282 back in 2022. Despite the significant setback, the Liverpudlian acknowledged that the thought of retirement had entered his mind. Ultimately, ‘The Gorilla’ moved on from the UFC following a straightforward discussion with Dana White and Hunter Campbell, and soon after, he began putting on the boxing gloves. 

The Englishman’s precise strikes and rapid timing delivered a knockout punch for most opponents when he stepped into the ring for exhibition boxing. He achieved three wins, one at the Social Knockout 3 event and the other two in the MF & DAZN X Series 20 and 21. However, there was one significant obstacle to tackle.

Many former UFC fighters have found themselves in a tough spot with exhibition boxing matches not going as planned, and Darren Till is right in the mix. His much-anticipated showdown with boxing icon Julio César Chávez Jr. under the MVP banner got pushed back. Then the matchup with Tommy Fury at Misfits Boxing fell through, and there was a quick scare when the exhibition fight with Darren Stewart got pushed back. Luckily, that bout went down on May 16, but his boxing journey has been riddled with a lot of missed opportunities.

‘The Gorilla’ was also in talks to fight Nate Diaz in an exhibition boxing bout, but that matchup fell through as well. Till shared a statement from promoter Lee Eaton on Instagram, which read, “Nate Diaz agreed to fight Till and changed his mind, citing weight. [He] probably knows he gets knocked out. Mike Perry has priced himself out, which means he doesn’t want to fight Till.” Soon after, he posted a photo of boxing gloves hanging on the wall with a crying emoji on X.

The Liverpudlian’s post didn’t take long to stir things up online. Fans were quick to ask what the hanging gloves meant. Was Darren Till calling it quits? Or was he teasing a comeback to boxing? The internet, as always. Some were confused, some were hyped, and others just showed up to joke around.

Fans left confused over Darren Till’s cryptic social media post

One fan didn’t waste any time and asked Till directly, “Hanging up the gloves? MMA return?”—a fair question, considering Till had already hinted in the past that he might return someday. Another fan jumped in with full support, writing, “Back to the UFC mate.” But that wasn’t the only speculation flying around.

A fan just had the idea that Till would be better suited to MMA and named PFL as the next option, not the UFC, “Not good enough to be a boxer, better suited to MMA, PFL would be a decent option.” The former UFC fighter has already shown his interest in going into the PFL in a Bloody Elbow interview, complimenting their format of conducting fights. However, some want him to swing in a boxing ring. 

Another user wrote, “Get on the socials and belt shit outta all these influencer c—s .. make a buck.” Not a bad option for the Liverpudlian, especially since he’s pretty active and outspoken on social media. A fight with any influencer could draw attention. One fan even tried matchmaking, saying, “Beat up @_HasimRahmanJr. He’s a b— desperate for a pay day.” Interestingly, Rahman Jr. was once booked to fight Jake Paul—but that never happened. So a clash with Till could easily grab some eyes. 

The fans definitely didn’t fully consider the possibility that their favorite English fighter might have actually retired. But it’s expected that Till will eventually come forward and clear the air about his cryptic post. Until then, all we can do is wait and see what ‘The Gorilla’ decides next.