Hometown heroes key to UFC’s draw
English up-and-comer Till has a chance to prove he can thrill a crowd on his own turf
Sunday’s UFC headliner in Liverpool, England is the type of setup the organization needs to do much more of in the future.
In one corner will stand Stephen (Wonderboy) Thompson, a two-time welterweight title challenger who remains ranked near the top of the division. Across the cage will be Darren Till, the 25-year-old hometown fighter, entering off the biggest win of his career back in October and thirsting to duplicate that effort in front of a packed, partisan house at the Echo Arena this weekend.
While there are no guaranteed stakes on the line, it is a crucial clash in the congested 170-pound ranks — the kind of fight that will help clarify things heading into next month’s interim title bout at UFC 225 and reigning champ Tyron Woodley’s likely return later this summer — but it’s also just a terrific scrap between a proven veteran and fighter 10 years his junior, eager to get to where his opponent has resided for the last several years.
Positioning the fight in Liverpool only ups the ante as not only is this the first time the Octagon has touched down in the tough town in North West England, but having a local boy on the come-up closing out the show should ensure that the atmosphere is electric from the outset, even though there aren’t any other Scousers on the fight card.
Hometown fighters always draw well and there is a different type of energy in the building when they walk to the cage; it’s true at the grassroots level, remains that way on the regional circuit and holds true for local fighters competing throughout the night when the UFC blows into town. Stationing them in the main event takes things up another notch or two and win or lose, that competitor automatically comes away looking a much bigger star.
With fighters like Till — emerging contenders that show flashes of star potential, but that haven’t quite proven themselves yet — it’s a perfect opportunity to get a better read on whether they can be a draw in the future, because if they can’t pack the house at home, expecting them to do the same in a neutral location doesn’t make any sense.
And as much as pairing him with Thompson wouldn’t have been my first choice — simply because “Wonderboy” has already fallen short in two title bids and he’s not the guy you want knocking off a talented up-and-comer — it’s the kind of difficult test that someone in Till’s position needs to pass in order to truly be considered a contender in the welterweight division.
He’s done exceptionally well to this point, delivering a more impressive performance each time he’s crossed the threshold into the eight-sided UFC cage, culminating with his breakthrough first-round win over Donald Cerrone last October. But beating Thompson is no easy feat. The veteran has only lost twice in his career — in his sophomore appearance in the Octagon and his second meeting with Woodley — and brings a kick-heavy karate style that has rendered extremely talented competitors unable to pull the trigger, leading to their demise.
If Till can secure a victory and send the crowd into hysterics, he’ll be a step away from challenging for the welterweight title and a burgeoning superstar the UFC can continue to build around going forward.
Those types of fighters are in short supply right now and the UFC desperately needs to start following this blueprint more often to see what they can make of some of the young, talented athletes currently working their way up the divisional ladder.
Have Tatiana Suarez headline a show in Southern California. Position Paulo Costa in the main event of the next Fight Night event in Brazil and see how it goes. Put a fight like the upcoming featherweight clash between Mirsad Bektic and Ricardo Lamas in the main event someone, rather than having it hold down the middle of the televised prelims next month at UFC 225.
It doesn’t have to stop with emerging talents either.
Get middleweight champ Robert Whittaker headlining a fight card in Sydney, Australia, have women’s strawweight titleholder Rose Namajunas in the main event of a show in her adopted hometown of Denver, Colorado and bring heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic back to Cleveland to defend the title again, provided he gets through Daniel Cormier later this summer.
Allow these current and potential superstars to look like superstars instead of competing in front of a lukewarm Las Vegas crowd or assigning bouts to locations without thinking things all the way through.
Booking Till in Liverpool is perfection and proves that the UFC is capable of recognizing the potential of a moment like this.
Hopefully we see more of it in the future.