Misfits Boxing 21 live blog: Darren Till vs. Darren Stewart

This is the Misfits Boxing 21 main event live blog for Darren Till vs. Darren Stewart, the influencer boxing match taking place Friday at the Vaillant Live in Derby, England.

Till looks to go 3-0 as a pro boxer as he headlines his second straight Misfits Boxing event. In his debut for the promotion this past January, Till scored an impressive sixth-round knockout of Anthony Taylor in a main event clash. “The Gorilla” is a one-time welterweight title challenger in the UFC, but has not competed in MMA since parting ways with the promotion in 2022. He is 18-5-1 as an MMA fighter.

Stewart has also previously fought for the UFC, putting together a 5-7 (2 NC) run with the promotion. He makes his pro boxing debut Friday. In his most recent fight for Cage Warriors in March 2024, Stewart suffered a second-round knockout loss to Carlos Pereira, snapping a four-fight win streak.

Check out the Till vs. Stewart live blog below.

Walkouts: Stewart is out in a black t-shirt, with black shorts and black gloves. He’s also rocking black shoes. Man is all business.

Till is out to “Roses” by OutKast. He’s also in a black shirt, but with dark blue shorts and black and red gloves.

Both men are introduced. The crowd is pretty tame here in England. Till looks absolutely enormous compared to Stewart. They meet for final instructions and touch gloves, and we’re off!

Round 1: Stewart out in orthodox, Till in southpaw. Stewart takes the center and backs Till to the ropes quickly. A clinch and some in-fighting. Till with a jab into a nice left. Till with some more power shots. Stewart puts him along the ropes and flurries. He’s crowding Till effectively. Till trying to time a big left hand to sit him down, but hasn’t found it yet.

OH! Till changed it up! He came forward and looped a left hand around the guard and dropped Stewart!!!

Stewart beats the count but he’s a little wobbly. Till trying to put shots on him and Stewart covering up. Credit to him, he’s firing back, and Till isn’t getting too wild. He’s just looking to set that left hand up. Snaps a left down the middle. And another. And then loops a big left hook around the guard. Stewart covering up and moving. No offense from Stewart right now.

Till, again, doesn’t get too aggressive. Nice uppercut that Stewart counters with a right hand but there’s no power on Stewart’s punches now, and the bell sounds.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-8 Till.

Round 2: Stewart looks to have his feet under him as he comes out. Till looking locked in. Stewart keeps coming forward but Till pops him with a left when his back his the ropes. Clinch and break. Stewart keeps crowding the space and lands a decent right hand of his own. He’s making this ugly and that’s much better for him. Stewart is getting chewed up at range.

Till with a big left hand counter as Stewart comes in but he eats it. Till maybe getting too locked on for a KO shot. Might want to mix things up more. But he does keep landing, almost at will as Stewart walks through his power shots. Stewart switching stances some now and Till might be slowing. He’s choosing his offense carefully, at least.

Stewart keeps coming and lands a jab but eats another left as they clinch before the round.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 Till, 20-17 Till overall.

Round 3: Stewart right back with the forward pressure. Till tags him with a left. He’s staying right in Till’s face now, and Till isn’t getting off the ropes much now. Till definitely seems like he’s tiring as Stewart keeps coming and lands a good right. They clinch and Stewart keeps working. Till showing no footwork. Leaning on the ropes and chasing the KO with a counter shot. And Stewart marches on.

Till pivots off after a left hand. Now with a nice uppercut. And another in space. When Till uses the space, he’s still teeing off. But Stewart is smothering him and lands a nice right hand along the ropes. Till trying to run off but Stewart is relentless. Nice combo from Till to the body when he gets to space but Stewart is a Terminator right now.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 Till, 30-26 Till overall.

Round 4: Stewart is charging forward now. Till lands an uppercut but Stewart is walking right through it all. Lands a good right and then a left along the ropes. Till is not working in combination. He’s either punching or defending, and more defense as the fight goes on. Fires the left a few times but misses.

Stewart roughhousing inside. Till with an uppercut and another, both to the body. Till now starting to work the body. He seems to understand he can’t KO Steward. But Stewart is still game, and fires a pair of nice right hands into Till’s head. Till slowing down but there’s a break for a low blow? Looked on the belt line, but whatever. We press on and Till is bleeding now.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 Stewart, 39-36 Till overall.

Round 5: till trying to jab to open this round, maybe keep Stewart off him. But Stewart walks right through it and puts Till on the ropes. Till finding another wind though, pumping those hands in close. Big left hand from Till. But OK!!!! Stewart cracks Till with a nasty right hand that makes Till cover up!!

Till seems to have lost some power and Stewart lands again. Till digging in now and jabbing and moving. Till moving back incessantly. Stewart is smiling and laughing in there. Till keeps working him, lands a big upper to the body. Till lands a left but Stewart keeps coming and lands a right hand. Stewart talking to someone in the crowd while they’re in a clinch. They trade shots inside.

Till doing an old-school, lead hand. Just leaving it on Stewart’s head, and then putting the left in behind it. This is surprisingly fun.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 Till, 49-45 Till overall.

Round 6: Stewart right back on it but Till trying to stand his ground and throw back. They bang for a bit and then Till gives ground. Against the ropes, Stewart starts chopping wood. Till really trying to throw back when they get inside and Stewart is only too happy to oblige. He pumps in with light work as Till covers up. Till lands a pair of lefts but Stewart stays in his face with the right hand. Till covering up a lot more now, allowing Stewart to punch into him.

Given the start, Stewart is giving a great account of himself here, digging in. But he’s losing power on his shots now, too. And they’re talking to each other, handing a good time in there. They’re clearly having fun, and that’s kinda cool.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 Stewart, 58-55 Till overall.

Round 7: This is starting to look a bit like a sparring session now. Both men clearly like each other and are having fun, and they’ve lost a lot of pop, meaning they’re taking a lot of punches, without getting seriously hurt.

Stewart right after him, putting Till to the ropes. Till tries a few big ones to back him off but no joy. Lot of phone booth work in here. Till pivots out and lands to the body well. But Stewart collapses the space again. Till swings hard, Stewart returns just as hard. Stewart clearly has more will than Till. Lands a nice right hand. Stewart will not stop. Stewart grinding Till down.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 Stewart, 67-65 Till overall.

Round 8: Three minutes left and Stewart may need a finish. He keeps doing what’s worked, putting Till against the ropes. Till with spirited hook though, knowing he only has three minutes left. Till lands a left. Stewart having some fun with his hands down, but Till moving better this round, trying not to be cornered.

Till bleeding by his right eye. Lands a sharp left hand as Stewart comes in. But Stewart keeps coming. Lands a right of his own. Till into space and lands a big left hand but Stewart cannot be hurt, it seems. Clinch and grappling. 50 seconds left.

Right hand for Stewart on the restart. He’s bullying Till back but Till lands a nice right hook. And another. He’s landing cleanly this round. Great uppercut as Stewart comes in. A right hand from Till. And a left. But Stewart with a big right hand. Short time and Till pivots out to space, and OHHHHHH Till lined up a PERFECT left hand and blasted him right at the bell! Stewart was bent over, waiting for the final bell and caught a clean one on the temple that almost put Stewart through the ropes!

Stewart beat the count up, but that should seal the deal.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-8 Till, 77-73 Till overall.

OFFICIAL DECISION: Darren Till def. Darren Stewart via unanimous decision (77-74, 77-74, 77-73)

Post Fight: Till gives Stewart credit out of the gate, saying you don’t have to be disrespectful to each other and still have an absolute war, like they did.

Till calls Stewart “one tough, tough bastard. I’m knocking out heavyweights in the gym and couldn’t budge [him].”

Till then calls out KSI, saying he doesn’t want to fight him. “I can get down to the weight. You can fight. I was there, you beat Tommy.” Till then suggests if KSI doesn’t fight him, he and KSI can tag team fight the Paul brothers.