Till Admits Fear Of Retirement After Smith, Poirier Arrests

Darren Till is already thinking about retirement, and it scares him.

The former UFC welterweight title challenger, who faces Yoel Romero at BKFC Manchester in September, told The Ariel Helwani Show he worries about how he'll handle life after fighting. His concern grew after watching recent struggles from retired fighters Dustin Poirier and Anthony Smith, both arrested in separate incidents over the past month after announcing they were done competing.

Till Plans For Post-Fighting Life Years In Advance

Till said his inner circle shares the anxiety. "All of them are scared as well," he said, per Bloody Elbow. "Like they all know the kind of guy I am. So, I do get a bit scared myself for what's to come. So, I now need to be thinking for three years' time. What to put in place so it doesn't get like that."

The Liverpool native, who has built a profile outside the cage through social media and appearances, believes his personality makes him more vulnerable than other retired fighters. "That's not my issue, my problem. The issue is me. The type of guy I am. I'm a million miles, and I'm a hundred times worse than all these other guys."

Till indicated he has at least a few more years of competition left before hanging up the gloves. He meets Romero in his second bare-knuckle appearance on September 20.

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• BJPenn — Darren Till ‘afraid’ of retirement after Dustin Poirier, Anthony Smith’s post-fighting troubles