UFC 228: Darren Till forced to tap out by Tyron Woodley in Texas
The American welterweight champion started quickly, and floored Till with a right hand early in 2nd.
Texas (Online) - Darren Till failed in his bid to become Britain’s second UFC world champion as Tyron Woodley produced a superb submission win in Texas.
The American welterweight champion started quickly, and floored Till with a right hand early in the second.
Woodley swarmed his rival with a ground and pound before locking in a d’arce choke, forcing a tap out with 41 seconds of the second remaining.
"Tyron was the better man. I’m gutted. I’ll be back stronger," said Till.
"It just really, really hurts."
After tapping out, Liverpudlian Till instantly got to his feet and shook Woodley’s hand in acknowledgement he had been second best in the biggest bout of his career.
The 25-year-old, who walked to the ring to cheers and the tune of Sweet Caroline, held his own in the opening five minutes when Woodley tried but failed to take him to ground.
But the second five-minute period belonged to the 36-year-old from Missouri as he married a sweet right hand with energy on the floor and an artful submission.
"He’s a tough kid," said Woodley. "My coach told me I’ve got to be ready to go all the way in. I was just taking my time - I saw he wasn’t going away easy and took my time to get the job done.
"This feels pretty awesome. I don’t believe in ring rust, but I’ve been away for 14 months."
UFC president Dana White had described the occasion as a "tipping point" for Till and insisted he could become one of the organisation’s "big stars"
if he were to win and join Michael Bisping as Britons to have held a UFC world title.
Till’s journey to the top had involved 17 wins and a draw, all of which followed a move to Brazil in 2012 as he sought a fresh start after being stabbed twice in the back in his home city.
