Tommy Fury replaced by Anthony Taylor in Darren Till fight after strange withdrawal

Darren Till is set to box Anthony Taylor on 18 January, after Tommy Fury’s withdrawal from the fight.

Fury, half-brother of former heavyweight champion Tyson, refused to face Till after the ex-UFC fighter threatened to kick him during the bout.

It seemed Till was joking, something he later reiterated, but the Liverpudlian was nevertheless left in need of a new opponent.

Now Till, 32, will face American Taylor, 35. The fight, which is scheduled to take place at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena, will mark Till’s professional boxing debut.

Till, whose exhibition boxing match with Mohammad Mutie ended in a brawl in July, is a former UFC title challenger. He was submitted by Tyron Woodley while vying for the welterweight belt in 2018.

Taylor is also a former mixed martial artist, having competed in Bellator, and has a 3-3 record as a pro boxer.

Mams Taylor, co-president of Misfits, the promotion running the 18 January event, said his team are seeking a new opponent for Fury.

“Tommy Fury pulled out,” he told Fred Talks Fighting. “Tommy wanted a replacement opponent, and to be honest with you, we’ll see what happens.

“We’re speaking with Tommy and his team and Big John [Fury, Tommy’s father], and seeing what we can work out.

“I’m not going to take Darren Till off that card, and I was never going to, because he didn’t do anything wrong in my view. He was promoting the fight.”