The Big Lead

Former UFC star Darren Till laughs off opponent's failed trash talk at press conference non-staredown

There were some not-so-serious big brother vibes as Darren Till humored Anthony Taylor, then just walked off stage as a planned faceoff failed to catch fire ahead of their boxing match in England.

By Simon Head

Sep 28, 2019; Copenhagen, DEN; MMA fighter Darren Till reacts during a bout between Gunnar Nelson (not pictured) and Gilbert Burns (not pictured) during UFC Fight Night at Royal Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-Imagn Images
Sep 28, 2019; Copenhagen, DEN; MMA fighter Darren Till reacts during a bout between Gunnar Nelson (not pictured) and Gilbert Burns (not pictured) during UFC Fight Night at Royal Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-Imagn Images / Per Haljestam-Imagn Images
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The staredown. It's a time-honored tradition in the world of prizefighting, where the two featured combatants go face to face as they lock eyes ahead of fight night. It's supposed to raise the anticipation, the expectation, the exitement, ahead of the big fight itself.

Sometimes tempers flare. Sometimes it can turn into a shoving match. And sometimes things just get weird.

You can file the staredown between Darren Till and Anthony Taylor ahead of their crossover boxing match at Misfits Boxing’s X Series 20 event under the latter category.

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Till was supposed to be facing Tommy Fury, but Fury, citing Till's promise to head-kick him if he was losing the fight, pulled out of the bout a few weeks out.

Misfits cruiserweight champion Taylor, a former MMA fighter who has competed for Bellator and Combate Global during his career, agreed to step in to keep Till on the card, and the pair will do battle over eight, three-minute rounds in Manchester, England on Saturday night.

And at the press conference ahead of fight night, Till and Taylor went face to face for the first time during fight week. Except... they didn't.

Till and Taylor walked to the front of the stage for the traditional faceoff, but Till instead focused his attention on the assembled crowd of media and friends, seemingly trying not to burst out laughing at Taylor's attempts to goad him.

“I’m about to make easy work of you," goaded Taylor. Till just grinned.

"Yeah, I’m about to get them veneers redone for you," he continued. Till just continued grinning, then asked, "What d'you want me to say?"

"I want you to say something!" implored Taylor, desperate for some sort of verbal exchange.

Till, still grinning from ear to ear, grabbed the mic and said, "You're s**t. You're just s**t," before turning and walking off stage.

The former UFC star, who at six feet tall towered over five-foot-seven Taylor, certainly doesn't seem to be taking Taylor too seriously. And when asked to give his opinion on Taylor as a boxer, Till's X-rated three-word reply almost caused promoter Kalle Sauerland to fall off his chair laughing.

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