Darren Till’s BKFC debut is almost here, and the bare-knuckle world is already buzzing. On 30th May at BKFC 90, the former UFC title challenger steps into gloveless combat against Aaron Chalmers in the co-main event — and those already on the card are making their feelings known.
Darren Till BKFC Debut Earns Respect Despite Influencer Label
George Hillyard, who faces Luke Brassfield on the same night in his own promotional debut after previous outings in BKB Bare Knuckle, has a unique perspective on Till. The two have previous ties — Hillyard was originally booked for Till’s Gorilla Promotions eight-man prizefighter tournament. Speaking via Sherdog, Hillyard was direct about what he expects from ‘The Gorilla’ on the night.
“Darren Till can — forget everyone thinks he’s an influencer. Yeah, he is. But Darren Till can fight. Seriously, his MMA pedigree, he can look after himself. I expect fireworks from him on the 30th. He’s going to be explosive, and it’s going to be electric.”
That kind of endorsement from someone within the bare-knuckle community carries genuine weight. Hillyard isn’t hyping a stranger — he knows the scene, and he knows Till’s background. Furthermore, anyone who watched Till during his UFC peak knows this is no celebrity vanity project.
Chalmers Rates Till Higher Than Mayweather — And He’s Fought Both
Meanwhile, his opponent Aaron Chalmers isn’t walking into BKFC 90 blind to the magnitude of this clash. The former Bellator MMA veteran and ex-Misfits Boxing champion went the full eight rounds with Floyd Mayweather under Queensberry Rules back in 2023 — and remarkably, he rates the Till fight as the bigger challenge.
“I don’t think many people were that bothered about Mayweather coming over to the UK, if I’m being honest,” Chalmers said via Bloody Elbow. “The Darren Till fight is a much bigger fight. Till is relevant — he fought two or three times last year and has come over to BKFC. Floyd wasn’t really doing anything, that fight came out of nowhere on four or five weeks’ notice. For me personally, this is a hell of a lot bigger.”
Chalmers has kept his bare-knuckle record spotless since that Mayweather outing, stringing together consecutive wins without a single blemish on his gloveless ledger. Still, he’s under no illusions about what’s coming.
“He’s 33, I’ll be 39 this year. When he was in his prime in the UFC, I was partying for a living — so it’s a f***ing hell of a fight. But I don’t take fights thinking I’m going to lose. I know I’m going to get smacked and cut. I’m f***ing ready.”
Raw, honest, and completely fired up. BKFC 90 in Birmingham looks set to deliver — and Till’s bare-knuckle debut could be the most talked-about moment in the promotion’s recent history.