UFC: Darren Till vs Derek Brunson LIVE – Latest updates and result from Fight Night in Las Vegas

Follow all the action live from the UFC Apex institute in Las Vegas

Derek Brunson celebrates after beating Darren Till via submission (Zuffa LLC)

Darren Till’s struggles for momentum in the UFC show no signs of subsiding, as the Liverpudlian was submitted by Derek Brunson in the third round of their Fight Night main event on Saturday night.

Till (18-4-1) saw his welterweight run end with back-to-back defeats in 2018, prompting a move up to middleweight in an attempt to kickstart his UFC career and avoid the weight-cutting issues that had been plaguing him.

A narrow decision win over Kelvin Gastelum in his debut at 185lbs was followed by a points loss to former divisional champion Robert Whittaker last summer, with Saturday’s submission defeat by Brunson meaning Till has just one victory from his last five bouts.

The 28-year-old striker looked sharp as ever on the feet, but his American opponent predictably pursued takedowns, which he secured in all three of the five rounds that a small group of fans got to witness in the UFC’s Apex facility in Las Vegas.

Brunson, 37, controlled Till on the mat for the majority of the first two rounds, landing heavy strikes from above, including slicing elbows. His takedown in the third round almost came out of desperation, however, after he appeared to be stunned by Till’s punches, which followed effective knees to the body.

In any case, Brunson’s instinctive takedown somehow gave way to the American quickly slipping into mount position, before he took Till’s back and locked in a rear naked choke. Till promptly tapped out to the hold, as Brunson (23-7) earned a fifth straight win in his last push for a middleweight title shot.

The 37-year-old was knocked out by current champion Israel Adesanya in 2018, as ‘The Last Stylebender’ stormed towards middleweight gold.

Re-live all the action from UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs Till below.

UFC: Till vs Brunson

• Liverpool’s Darren Till submitted by Derek Brunson in main event
• Britain’s Paddy Pimblett, Tom Aspinall, Jack Shore and Molly McCann all win

[4 September 2021 19:45 · Alex Pattle]

UFC: Till vs Brunson

Here’s all the information you need on how to watch tonight’s event, as well as all of the timings:

[4 September 2021 19:43 · Alex Pattle]

UFC: Till vs Brunson

Welcome to our live coverage of tonight’s UFC Fight Night!

Liverpool’s Darren Till goes head-to-head with American Derek Brunson in the main event of this evening’s card in Las Vegas.

Till (18-3-1) will be stepping into the Octagon for the first time since his points defeat by former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in July 2020, as he looks to regain momentum at 185lbs following his move up from welterweight two years ago. Till, 28, is 1-1 in the division, with a decision victory over Kelvin Gastelum preceding the result against Whittaker.

Meanwhile, Brunson (22-7) is on a four-fight win streak as he pursues a rematch with middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, who knocked out the 37-year-old in 2018 en route to the gold. While fifth-ranked Brunson is well-rounded, his greatest strength is his wrestling, which he might look to use in order to neutralise the striking prowess of seventh-ranked Till – if the American can get close enough to the Liverpudlian.

The undercard features a number of Britons in action, with heavyweight Tom Aspinall fighting in the co-main event, and Liverpool’s Paddy Pimblett making his much-anticipated UFC debut. Meanwhile, Molly McCann – also from Liverpool – will compete, as will undefeated Welshman Jack Shore.