UFC vet Darren Till to make boxing debut at Paul-Tyson event

Former UFC fighter Darren Till is set to make his professional boxing debut July 20 on the undercard of Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Paul's Most Valuable Promotions announced Wednesday.

Till will face Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., the son of the Mexican boxing legend and a former WBC middleweight champion.

The matchup will be contested at 190 pounds and over six three-minute rounds.

Till, a former welterweight title challenger and top-10 middleweight in the UFC, jumps into his first boxing match after parting ways with the MMA promotion in March 2023. The Liverpool native hasn't competed in any kind of combat sport since a loss in his final UFC bout against current 185-pound champion Dricus Du Plessis in December 2022.

Till had been on the UFC roster since 2015. The 31-year-old began his Octagon stint with a six-fight unbeaten streak, leading to a 170-pound title shot against Tyron Woodley in 2018. But Till lost that fight via submission and went on to lose four of his next five.

Till had an offer on the table to join Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship - presumably for a long-awaited fight with fellow UFC veteran Mike Perry - but he revealed on Monday's "The MMA Hour" that he turned down the opportunity.

"Paul vs. Tyson is going to be one of the biggest events of our generation, and to make my professional boxing debut on it is brilliant," Till said in a statement. "I'm very happy with my opponent. I've been a fan of his father for many years, and I've been a fan of Chavez Jr., too - he is a great fighter who I respect. But make no mistake about it, I am coming to knock him out in the first round."

Chavez returns to the boxing ring for the first time since December 2021 when he picked up a unanimous decision win over journeyman David Zegarra in his native Mexico.

Chavez captured the WBC middleweight title in 2011 and successfully defended it three times. However, he's struggled mightily in the latter part of his career, putting together a 3-4 record dating back to a 2017 bout with Canelo Álvarez.

Chavez has squared off with an MMA fighter in the past. The 38-year-old faced former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in June 2021, with Silva pulling off a stunning upset victory via split decision.