14 Mar 2025
It must feel good to be active?
“It took me like two years to fully get totally invested into it all [boxing]. But then I knew as soon as the first fight came, after that, it’d just be like an avalanche [opportunities], a snowball of things. “I had that first fight with Anthony Taylor on January 18th, and then straight away, they got me straight booked in again on the 28th of March, after this, they are saying another date and another date, so that’s just what I want now. I just want to be active; active, active, active; fighting, fighting, fighting. Racking wins up, wins up, wins up.”
It sounds like working with Mams, working with Misfits, they’ve got a clear plan for you?
“Since I have worked with Mams and Misfits, that’s all they’ve done. They’ve locked me in now, they’ve locked the dates in. “They said, ‘Look, you’re on this date, that date, this date. And if we come to an agreement, you go on this date, this date, that date.’ “And I’m like, ‘Okay, sound. I’ll stay in the gym, get me the fights, bring me the big names, and I’ll fucking show up and show out.’”
Are they noticing that working with you now is moving the needle in terms of viewership, in terms of people buying tickets?
“I’m a needle mover. I was a big superstar inside the UFC. When I fought I sold out many arenas there. And obviously I was a trash talker as they say over in America, and it’s come over into Misfits where they love all that. And obviously I’ve got the fighting capabilities as well. So for me, it’s like— it’s a double whammy. “They’re obviously just really happy with that, so if I’m making them happy and they’re keeping me happy. That relationship just works, doesn’t it?
There’s no reason it can't work. And I’m not one of these as well who’d be like, ‘Oh, the grass is always greener on the other side,’ because sometimes the grass isn’t. Sometimes, be happy with what you’ve got and where you are.”
You didn’t turn up to the press conference because you were ill?
“It would have been one or two days I was out of fight camp, I was feeling a little bit sick around the day, so I was like, ‘Look, is there any way I can give this a miss?’. Keep nutrition up health up here, and everyone was fine with that. I appreciate the courtesy for that, and obviously I gave them the courtesy. And look, fight week, I’ll bring it. And obviously fight night, I’ll bring it. Which is the most important thing, isn’t it?”
How difficult is it for them to match-make with you?
“I just think it hasn’t done me any favours obviously looking as good as I did [against Anthony Taylor] and boxing as well as I can. And I’ve always known I can do that. Everyone has always known how good of a striker I am. But now it’s transpired into the actual striking circuit, boxing circuit. There’s a hell of a lot more to come.” It was between Darren Stewart and Rahman Jr, is that one you wanted? “It was whoever brought the best attraction on the night, and in the end we were like, ‘Yeah, Darren does. So let’s go Darren.’ “And people were saying, ‘you were ducking Hasim’ - I don’t even know who Hasim is. I don’t even know who he’s fought— who did he fight? Did he fight Jake Paul or something? It was either him or Darren. Darren got lucky.”
Talk to me about Darren
“I actually don’t know why he’s called ‘The Dentist’, to be honest with you. I don’t know. Maybe he knocks people’s teeth out and puts them back in as well. But I’ve known Darren a long time. He’s fought on a few of my undercards in the UFC. He’s always been a good, solid competitor from what I’ve seen within the UFC. “He had a good stint, and he’s still obviously been training and keeping active and stuff like that. So I haven’t really got much of an opinion on Darren, to be totally honest with you, in terms of hyping the fight. I know he comes to fight. I think [his striking ability] is okay. I think some excel in these areas, others are average. I'm one of them guys who excels, and Darren just cuts a little bit below average.”
Does training in a gym of top class boxers help?
“I’m in the Rotunda Gym, you walk through the doors and you have the likes of Liam Smith, Josh Taylor, and all the other world champions, and professional boxers with amazing pedigree and backgrounds in boxing, so straight away there, you've already got the upper hand on the rest of this lot [Misfits fighters]. I've already got the front foot on all these opponents that I'm going to be fighting in the Misfits space as soon as I put my foot through the gym doors. It’s a world-class environment.”
Dillon Danis was making fun of you being on his undercard?
“I don't take anything Dillon does too seriously. Dillon's just an online troll. He's very good at it. I actually applaud him for it. It's the same thing with Colby. It's tongue in cheek. If anyone takes offense to him, that's a them problem. I'm from Liverpool, me. I grew up on little scruffy streets in Liverpool. I'm not going to let a few little words like that affect me and start kicking me toys out the pram. If Dillon starts putting shit up about me saying I'm on his undercard—it doesn't really affect me. “I'm a very outspoken person myself, but so is Dillon. So it's like, we clash heads. It's two big personalities on the card, isn't it? As well as KSI. KSI he's a megastar, isn't he? In his own right. He's got his own endorsement deals, his own hydration thing and stuff like that, streaming. So there’s a few big, big powerhouse names on the card.”
Can I get your prediction for Danis and KSI?
“I think KSI will probably do Dillon. I think if it was real fighting, Dillion’s Jiu Jitsu is tremendous, but I think with boxing, I think KSI will just get him.”
Darren Till vs. KSI in Alcatraz?
“You join the circus, that's what the circus provides, isn't it? That's not me trying to dismiss Misfits. They know how wholeheartedly I am with them in a sense of their professionalism, they are doing it professionally. They're not like some of the other promotions. But yeah, would I entertain it? Well, I can't sit here and say no, because if the money was good enough, then I'd obviously have to entertain it. So yeah, we'd have to see about that one.”
Are you signed to Misfit them on a deal?
“I am, yeah. And when my deal comes to an end, I'm the type of guy that'll say, ‘Look, what do you want to do? There's this here, that here, that here. But you tell me first. You have first pick because you have shown me a level of loyalty that I've shown you.’ That's how I get down. I don't really get that—I'm not really a sly ass, me. And in boxing, there seems to be a lot of sly asses. I'm not a sly ass.”
Did the GFL approach you?
“I have been approached by the GFL. I don't really know what to make of the GFL at this point, they are making fights, but it doesn't seem like the fights are happening. So is it a gimmick at this point? This is what it seems from the outside. Who knows? Only time will tell. I don't know the investors or the backers that are behind it. So it's like, I don't know too much to say at this point. I'm just like anyone else. I'm looking from the outside and going, ‘What's going on here?’”
What about BKFC, have they come calling at any point?
“They’re still there. There’s a line of communication. For me, if they come now and offered me what I want [a big sum] I'd probably just say ‘Fuck it. Let's do a big pay-per-view main event in either Manchester, Liverpool, or London, and let's have done with me and the Mike Perry saga.’ I think it would do great numbers. So that’s what I mean—that line of communication is not closed. It's still there.”
What do you think about the whole concept of bare-knuckle fighting?
“I fucking love it. I think it's absolutely unbelievable. It's very violent, though. It is PG for the kids, be careful with the kids. Obviously, we like the kids to grow up doing sports, but it is good. But it is very violent. I love violence. I love money, cars, and violence. I do love violence. So yeah, it does attract me, yeah. But when you get to my stage as well, it can't just be about jumping in it. The money’s got to be right.”
Where does Jake Paul fit into your plans?
“I think Jake is a legitimate boxer. I think he puts real work, real hours in. He’s got a fully functional 24-hour team at hand because he's got the money, obviously, to have this. So Jake’s a pro boxer now. Obviously, every fight I see him, he gets better. He improves. [He’s] a little bit slow, you can still see he lacks in certain areas. But by no means is he this influencer that everyone was saying. For me, he’s a proper, proper boxer. “He’s on my radar–am I on his? Who knows? He's the big guy, I'm the little guy. He’s the big guy. As funny as it sounds as I'm from the UFC [but] he's the big guy, I'm the little guy. I know what’s what. If you put an orange in front of me, it's an orange. I just know that Jake Paul’s the big guy, I’m the little guy. I'm not gonna sit here and go, “I’m Darren Till from the UFC”. He’s the big guy. I'm the little guy. So call it for what it is. “That [me v Jake Paul] would be a mega pay-per-view. Not in America, in England, especially bringing in the whole Logan, Jake, KSI, me.”
What about Roman Fury
“I didn’t really know much of him. I know he’s John’s son. I don't know much about him, saw his last fight—good knockout. Haven’t really got much to say on it. I’ve got no beef with Roman. I don’t really know who he is, I just know he’s a Fury. But if they want me to fight Roman, and the money’s right, yeah. But other than that, he’s not really in my way.”
Is the Tommy Fury fight dead?
“No. One year, maybe one year down the line.”
Any other options we haven’t covered that you are interested in?
“I think it's just all boxing, boxing, boxing and then it’s ‘right, Dana, I'm coming back to the UFC’. I would say the start of 2027.”
Should Pereira go up to heavyweight or rematch Ankalaev?
“I think he can either rematch Ankalaev, or retire into the sunset and take all this lovely money he's got with him. Seems like a really good dude, and I’m actually really, really happy for him. I think whatever he decides won't be a wrong answer. “But [Moving up to heavyweight is] tough—leave that alone.”
Dana White and his Boxing League—what do you think this means kind of long term for other boxing promoters?
“I think time will tell. I think Dana's going to come in and try and create a model like the UFC with the Boxing League. Whether that will work will depend on all the other governing parties and bodies if they want to, sort of get in line, because Turki at the moment is the powerhouse. But I think time’s going to tell with that. That could be a massive success or a massive flop. That's what I think. It's either going to be a massive success or a massive flop.”
What do you think the boxing industry is going to learn about dealing with Dana White?
“He's a cutthroat man. Business is business with Dana. You don’t fuck about. The best fight the best, and he's cutthroat. That’s my two things—the best fight the best, and he's cutthroat.”
What do you think of Turki saying that he's going to go and crush all the other promoters?
“I think he means it [he’s going to crush the other promoters] . I don't know the politics behind it if he's capable enough to do that. If money does talk, and he's got an unlimited amount of it, so if that is actually his intention, which he's already proved with the cards he's doing in Saudi Arabia, then yeah [he could crush the other promoters]. But it's not going to just be as easy as that to just dismantle boxing. Boxing is very, very much rooted in the heart of American soil.”
WWE Crossover?
“I don’t really like all that, so I’m going to say no now. But if they offer me a billion dollars, then I’m obviously going to say yes, because money is the root of all evil, and we all know that, and we’ll do everything for money. So for now, no.”
You posted a clip of you and Tom Aspinal, could Tom Aspinall have been a boxing world champion?
“I think he could have, yeah. His boxing was so good, even back in the day when we used to train boxing, like his feet—quick, quick feet, fast-twitch fiber muscles, and stuff like that. He was the crème de la crème.”
What do you make of DDP’s world title run?
“I just think he [DDP] does everything so bad, it’s good. I just think he’s so good at doing everything so bad. He defies physics. He needs Isaac Newton to study him because it doesn't make sense. But listen, he beat me fair and square. There was nothing to say about that. Give the man his props. I just think he does it all really bad but it all comes together really well. That’s what I think.”
Can he beat Chimeav?
“I think Chimaev is gonna run over him. I think he’ll just completely run over. That’s what I think. “I think he’ll win the title. I think he’s done what he’s done to do that, and I think Chimaev will get out, earn the money, and then I think he’ll live his life happily and peacefully then.”
Bo Nickal said Khamzat has got great skills. But basically, if I take him into deep waters, his energy is not going to last, thoughts?
“Bo shouldn't be talking like that. Bo’s got to sort of be the one challenging Khamzat. Khamzat has proved what he is in MMA. Khamzat's a phenom, so Bo’s still a newcomer. Bo needs to chill out. But again, his credentials are great, but I go with Khamzat every time with that fight.”
Rogan was suggesting that Khamzat could potentially be more dominant than Khabib in terms of the grappling. Do you think it's a worthwhile comparison?
“Yeah [Rogan is right to compare Khabib and Khamzat] because Khabib was very dominant. But Khabib didn't fight for as long as he should have, God rest his father's soul. But, yeah, Khamzat can definitely get past Khabib in terms of dominating grappling.”
Thoughts on Paddy vs Chandler
“I like the fight. I think it's the perfect road to the title. I like the fight. I think it’s a very winnable fight for Paddy. It’s also a very losable fight. Chandler’s not a mug still at this age, but for me, it’s clever matchmaking. “It’s a good fight for Paddy. It's an even fight. But I would tip Paddy going into it—he’s younger, fresher, big and strong, and I don't see Chandler knocking him out. I'm going to give it 70-30 for Paddy. I think it's a very winnable fight for Paddy. Paddy's fresher, and he's younger, and he's very strong. He’s supremely strong in there, so that will pay dividends in the later rounds with Chandler.”
You think Paddy mentioning Ilia is the right thing to do?
“Yeah [Paddy’s right to call out Topuria]. Why wouldn't you? Ilia is an absolute megastar.”
Why does Ngannou want to box next?
“I think that's just because there's more opportunities in boxing. He can make a hell of a lot more money—TV endorsements, brand deals, sponsorship, ad revenue, all that. He’s thinking about the money.”
What fight have we not seen that’s been run past you, that never came to fruition?
“I think the whole Israel [Adesanya] fight. That got run past us a lot of times—never came to fruition. And that’s something that sticks in me still like a little thorn. Listen, sometimes it happens like that.”
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