Darren Till marked his debut in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship with a knockout win over former reality TV star and MMA fighter Aaron Chalmers in a Light Heavyweight bout at BKFC 90.
Till was knocked down by Chalmers in his first round competing in the Squared Circle after a flush left hand landed from the 39-year-old. But Till, fighting out of Liverpool, beat the count and got to his feet with relative comfort at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham, England.
And he needed just 22 seconds in Round No. 2 to wrap up proceedings as he let a powerful left hook loose, putting Chalmers on his knees and eventually face down on the canvas. He could be seen shaking his head to the referee who subsequently waved off the contest.
They were scheduled for three more two-minute rounds, but the former UFC title-challenger needed just the two.
"I was made for this [bare knuckle violence], I was made for it, I'm a Scouse hillbilly," Till said afterwards.
"[I said] I've got to let my hands go in the second [and] I got it. And look, full respect to Aaron, please respect this man, I've heard people call him a reality TV star -- that was 65 years ago! He's a fighter. He's been fighting and training with the likes of Leon Edwards, he's a real man."
When asked who he wanted next in the promotion, Till threw back the years with a rendition of one of his most famous on-mic moments in the UFC: "Everyone and everyone I don't care, I'm not scared of anyone," he said with vigour.
Chalmers, now 2-1 in BKFC, earned his fame on reality TV show 'Geordie Shore' before a seven-fight spell in the now-defunct Bellator MMA organisation. Remarkably, he also faced off against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a boxing exhibition in 2023.
Till's undefeated record since moving away from MMA continued on Saturday night with the win coming off the the back of a similarly devastating finish of former UFC champion Luke Rockhold in Misfits boxing last time out.
Before his move away from MMA, Till had carved out a fairly successful UFC career with wins over Kelvin Gastelum and Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson.
But a run of six defeats in seven saw his time in the UFC come to an end with the Liverpudlian since trying his hand at boxing. That notable win over former UFC champion Rockhold is among his exploits in the ring and preceded his switch to the Bare Knuckle variety of the sport, a format that appears suited to his style.
