Darren Till vs. Luke Rockhold: Odds, full fight preview and prediction | Misfits 22

Former top-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) contenders Darren Till vs. Luke Rockhold will throw down TONIGHT (Sat., Aug. 30, 2025) at Misfits 22 inside Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.

How did we get to the point that a former UFC title challenger and former undisputed champion are boxing in an influencer fighting league? In the case of Till, injuries really hampered his ability to wrestle, forcing the striker to pursue opportunities outside of the Octagon (for now). Rockhold, meanwhile, aged out of top-notch Middleweight competition. He admitted as much following his sloppy slobberknocker against Paulo Costa, but Rockhold still isn’t willing to commit to retirement. Bare knuckle boxing may be too “dumbass” for his tastes, but we’ll find out tonight if the sweet science is more to his standard.

Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:

Till vs. Rockhold Betting Odds

  • Darren Till victory: -1200
  • Luke Rockhold victory:+750
  • Odds via BetOnline.ag

How Till Wins

Darren Till has always been a tricky Southpaw. In the cage, he used right-handed feints to line up his left side offense: the left straight, elbow, or knee with great effect. Since moving to the ring, he’s been forced to improve his jabs and general combinations, but the left hand shot is still his moneymaker.

Against a fellow leftie in Rockhold, that dynamic is even more important. Till has to be snapping his jab down the middle, not just pumping his lead shoulder. It’s much easier to see and defend the power hand in big gloves when punches are all that must be considered, so Till has to spend more time building openings with his lead hand.

Otherwise, Till should be trying to apply a high pace and volume. Rockhold is now 40 years of age, and we’ve seen him slow down both in his final UFC fight and sole BKFC appearance. As the younger, lighter man, Till can take advantage of the age and speed gap by really pressing Rockhold, forcing him to react to lots of offense and feints, and then drowning him as the fight wears on.

How Rockhold Wins

Like Till, Rockhold’s boxing was never the center piece of his MMA striking arsenal (that would be his devastating left kick). He’s best known for a powerful check hook, but there was one performance versus Yoel Romero in which Rockhold’s combinations, double jab, and pivot never looked better. He got knocked out in the third, but still, he was boxing quite well for a minute there!

Rockhold will need that same jab and distance control here. Again, winning the jab battle is going to be a huge asset either man, as they’re both accustomed to being able to slide their left down the center with minimal resistance. If instead Rockhold is jabbing in volume and constantly looking to turn Till with his footwork, there’s a real chance he can frustrate the English standout.

It’s also important that Rockhold isn’t overly reliant on that check hook. He’s gotten in trouble for being predictable with the shot in the past, and Till will surely be looking to sneak his left inside the punch. If that happens, it’s a devastating connection, so Rockhold has to make sure to counter with jabs in addition to his right hook.

Till vs. Rockhold Prediction

It’s hard to argue against the odds makers here. I may not believe the gap to be that wide, particularly since six rounds isn’t a particularly long boxing match, but there’s no real reason to have much faith in the upset either. Ultimately, neither man seems primed for a successful professional boxing career — they were both better at other aspects of MMA!

Till at least has youth on his side, as well as more overall experience in stand up competition. I don’t think he knocks out the bigger man, but I expect Till’s speed and cardio advantages to earn a reasonably clear-cut judges’ decision.

Prediction:Till via decision

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