Former UFC welterweight title challenger Darren Till covered up a tattoo of a girl, sparking debate among fight fans.

The Liverpudlian is set to make his Misfits Boxing debut tonight against Anthony Taylor, almost two years after his departure from the UFC. Till left the MMA promotion to explore other opportunities. He was scheduled to make his professional boxing debut against former Mexican WBC middleweight boxing champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr last July, but the fight was ultimately canceled.

Instead, he faced Palestinian mixed martial arts champion Mohammad Mutie in an exhibition boxing match at Social Knockout 3 in Dubai the same month. Despite a blow to the back of Muti’s head, Till was declared the winner by technical knockout in the second round.

He is currently expected to move to Manchester but faces a tough opponent in Taylor, who has extensive experience in the Misfits world. Fans noticed that Till covered up a tattoo of his girlfriend’s face with a gorilla. He previously stated that he got the tattoo so that the woman, the mother of his two children, would always be close to him, even during fights.

Many fans wrongly believed that Till’s tattoo resembled former UFC star Paige VanZant, but the Liverpool MMA fighter rejected such suggestions. “That’s my girl,” Till explained about the ink. “It was a surprise for her on her birthday. I thought, ‘Yes, I’ll do something different. I’ll put a tattoo on her face.”

The topic of tattoos continued, but Till insisted: “It’s not Paige VanZant, I don’t even know who she is. As I said about my girlfriend, she is second to none. So every time I fight, she fights too. And she gets beat up by me, so if she pisses me off, I just go to the gym and let some guys beat me up.”

The combat sports world has also been abuzz with news of Till’s potential fight with Tommy Fury, which has now fallen apart. Fury explained his decision to withdraw in a statement on social media: “I can’t believe I’m writing this but now I’m not fighting Darren Till on January 18. For one straightforward reason: Darren has repeatedly stated that he does not want to follow the rules of professional boxing and that if he loses a fight, he will resort to kicks and other stupid MMA tactics.”

Fury continued to explain, emphasizing his dedication to boxing and lamenting the wasted preparation. “I’m a professional boxer, I’ve been out of the ring for over a year and I wanted it to be a great boxing match for the fans. I wasted weeks in training camps. We are working demanding to find a fresh opponent and I promise that I will find a better opponent and a better fight for you. Good news just around the corner.”

Former Chelsea footballer Wayne Bridge is reportedly set for a surprise career change after being lined up as KSI’s next boxing opponent.

The former Chelsea and Manchester City star won the Premier League playing under Jose Mourinho in 2004-05 and added the FA Cup and EFL Cup in 2006-07.

In 2009, he moved to Manchester City, where he spent three years before spending time on loan at West Ham, Brighton and Sunderland.

The former England international retired from football in 2014 after leaving Reading. However, he has remained in the spotlight because he is married to singer Frankie Bridge (née Sandford), former lead singer of girl band The Saturdays.

Now he is ready for an unexpected career change from football to boxing after being selected as one of KSI’s potential opponents.

According to Daily mailBridge is “one of the names mentioned” to fight the famed YouTuber and social media personality, with the fight scheduled for March 29.

KSI – whose real name is Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji and also goes by the nickname “JJ” – got into boxing alongside fellow YouTubers Logan and Jake Paul.

The London-born star is a household name in the celebrity world, having released her own rap album and enjoying success in various ventures, including The Sidemen and launching a drink called PRIME.

The 31-year-old recently expressed his desire to fight former UFC champion Conor McGregor in an exhibition fight. However, it looks like he will face a completely different opponent in Brydra.

Bridge, now 44, was plagued by injuries later in his career but is now said to be in “top form”. He has also entered the ring once, so he is no stranger to fighting with ropes.

Seven years ago, he faced Spencer Matthews, who previously appeared on the reality show Made in Chelsea, in a charity fight for Sport Relief and emerged victorious.

In the meantime, KSI fought Logan Paul twice and his record in six fights in the ring is 4-2.

His only defeat was against Tommy Fury in September 2023, when Fury, the younger brother of former heavyweight champion Tyson, won the fight by majority vote.

He has previously touched on the topic of fighting bridge when the topic was broached by another former footballer, Peter Crouch, on his podcast in October 2023.

He said, “You know, if you ever need someone to step in, I know someone who trains all the time. So if you need someone last minute, Wayne Bridge.”

KSI replied, “If he really cares about it, it would definitely be great to have him on Misfits.”

Despite earlier declarations that the fight with Jake Paul would not affect his lifestyle, Mike Tyson spent £11 million on a up-to-date, elegant residence. The 58-year-old icon returned to the ring last year in a spectacle streamed on Netflix against the YouTuber-turned-boxer.

The fight, initially postponed due to health problems Tyson experienced in May, ultimately resulted in a victory for 31-year-old Paul at AT&T Stadium in Texas in November. Tyson made around £16m from the event but was adamant that money was not his motivation.

He said Fox Sports Radio after the fight: “No, no, no, this paycheck won’t change my lifestyle at all.” Before the fight, he rejected claims that the reason for his return as a “bull****” was for financial gain.

At the MMA event, Tyson explained: “I’m a man, I want to go out there and take risks. Sometimes I want to see who I really am. I want to see what I’m really made of. I want to perform in front of the world.”

Nevertheless, just a few months after the fight, Tyson treated himself to a luxurious mansion in Delray Beach, Florida. According to Palm Beach Post Officethe property deal closed for $13 million (just under £11 million), and earlier this week a special guarantee agreement was filed confirming that Tyson now owns the 2.7-acre estate in the exclusive Tierra del Rey Estates.

Joseph Jonathan Schneider, representing Tyson, said: “This was a successful transaction and all parties demonstrated professionalism and cooperation. The Tyson family has been a valued client and friend for many years and it has been a pleasure working with them.”

Real estate agent Matthew Maschler previously revealed how Tyson was tempted to buy in Tierra del Rey Estates, which translates to “Land of Kings,” after his daughter started playing tennis in the area. He said, “Basically, he likes that his daughter is playing tennis and playing tennis in Delray.”

While most boxing followers can’t wait for Tyson to hang up his gloves, speculation is rife about a potential third fight with 62-year-old Evander Holyfield, who won the first fight between the pair in 1996. In the rematch, Tyson was disqualified after biting off a piece of his opponent’s ear.

Actor and martial arts expert Paulo Tocha, who is close to Tyson, recently said: “Finally [of the Paul fight]he kind of let us know there was another one coming. Most likely, however, it will be Evander. Him and Evander – after what happened to his ear and all that. So it will most likely be something like this.”