Darren Till gets late knockdown, wins close decision over Darren Stewart at Misfits Boxing 21

Darren Till moved to 2-0 in Misfits Boxing, but he certainly had to work for it.

On Friday, Till headlined Misfits Boxing 21, taking on former UFC fighter Darren Stewart in an eight-round boxing match at Valliant Live in Derby, England. The bout was Till’s first since knocking out Anthony Taylor in January at Misfits 20, and this one took quite a bit more work from “The Gorilla,” who won a unanimous decision in a surprisingly competitive war.

Till came out firing early in the contest, landing his left hand seemingly at will, and flooring Stewart early in the round. It looked like this might be another early night for Till, but “The Dentist” was able to beat the count and survive the round.

Till had another strong showing in the second round, but Stewart hung tough and slowly started to wear Till down with his forward pressure. Round after round, Stewart waded through punishment to put Till against the ropes, draining the former UFC welterweight title challenger.

The Till had plenty of success as the fight drug on, Stewart’s durability and pressure proved serious hurdles, and as the fight wound down, it was an open question whether or not Till was going to win the decision. Until the last moments of the fight.

With time running out, Till pivoted off the ropes and then took advantage of a lapse from Stewart, landing a blistering left hand to the temple that nearly sent “The Dentist” through the ropes, right at the bell. Stewart made it to his feet, and the bout went to the judges, but at that point, the damage was done: Till won a unanimous decision.

After the win, Till called out KSI, who was sitting ringside for the bout, and alternatively suggested the two of them take on Logan and Jake Paul, or threw out possible matchups with Jorge Masvidal or Mike Perry as options.