The UFC is back home in Las Vegas this week for Fight Night 289, with Raul Rosas Jr. and Raoni Barcelos headlining the bantamweight bout at the Meta APEX. But honestly, that’s almost background noise when you look at what’s going down with some of the promotion’s veterans this week. Seriously, Sept. 23-26 is stacked with former UFC fighters hitting the regional scene, and one matchup in particular is absolutely wild.
Yoel Romero and Darren Till Are Fighting Bareknuckle, It’s Gonna Be Epic
Hold up. Yoel Romero, the “Soldier of God,” is stepping into the bareknuckle boxing ring against none other than Darren Till this Saturday, Sept. 26, at BKFC 94! Are you kidding me? This is a clash of absolute titans, and it’s happening without gloves. Romero, who holds a 16-7 MMA record with 9-4 in the UFC, has been active since leaving the promotion back in March 2020. He’s got a 3-2 MMA record since then, plus a 1-0 bareknuckle MMA win and a 1-0 bareknuckle boxing record. He’s coming off a unanimous decision win in MMA from February 2024.
Then you’ve got Darren Till, who’s 18-5-1 MMA, 6-5-1 UFC. His last MMA fight *was* his last UFC fight, a submission loss in December 2022. But since then, Till has been busy in boxing, racking up a 1-0 boxing, 1-0 bareknuckle boxing, and 2-0 exhibition boxing record. These guys are no strangers to throwing down, but bareknuckle? This isn’t for the faint of heart, and it’s going to be absolutely insane to watch. Who even thought of putting these two together in a bareknuckle bout? My jaw is still on the floor.
Caged Boxing and Comebacks: The Vets Are Busy
It’s not just Romero and Till bringing the heat. A bunch of other UFC vets are getting back into the combat sports grind this week, and it’s a mixed bag of results and formats. James Llontop, with an 18-9 MMA record (and 0-3 in the UFC, ouch), is fighting Ricardo Romero at Inka 61 on Sept. 23. Llontop’s record since leaving the UFC sits at 4-4, and his last MMA fight was a TKO loss back in April. You gotta wonder if he can turn that around.
Then there’s Salim Touahri (11-4 MMA, 0-3 UFC) taking on Daniel Rutkowski in **caged boxing** at MMA Attack 7 on Sept. 25. Caged boxing? That’s a new one to me, but you know it’s going to be wild. Touahri’s got a decent 1-0 MMA record since his UFC exit, plus a 0-0-1 exhibition MMA and 0-1 exhibition boxing. Alex Oliveira, the “Cowboy,” (26-19-1 MMA, 11-10 UFC) is also fighting Sept. 25, against Juan Pablo Varela at LMC 3. His post-UFC run has been a tough 4-6 MMA and 0-1 karate record, with a TKO loss in June. Karlos Vemola (38-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) on the other hand, is on a roll with a 29-5 MMA record since his UFC exit, and he’s fighting Frederic Vosgrone at OKTAGON 94 on Sept. 26. That dude’s a machine!
Last Week’s Bouts and What’s Next
Before we dive into those epic upcoming fights, let’s not forget what went down last week. Don’Tale Mayes suffered a unanimous decision loss at Unified MMA 69, which is a tough pill to swallow. But Darian Weeks brought home a win, scoring a split decision over Hunter Lee at the same event. Andre Fialho also took a unanimous decision loss, while Will Chope’s bareknuckle boxing results are still pending.
And to wrap up the weekend, we’ve got Braxton Smith (5-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) fighting Khetag Sabeev at Peak Fighting 54 on Sept. 26. Smith’s had a rough go since the UFC, with a 0-1 MMA, 1-1 bareknuckle boxing, 0-1 kickboxing, 0-1 karate, and 0-1 custom rules record. Finally, Henry Cejudo (16-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) is fighting Javon Walton, and Tony Ferguson (25-11 MMA, 15-9 UFC) is on the same card against Mahmoud Fawzy Sebie, also on Sept. 26. Seeing Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson back in the boxing ring is always an event.
This whole week, from the main card in Vegas to the regional fights, is packed with action. But seriously, clear your schedule for Saturday, Sept. 26. Romero vs. Till bareknuckle is the one you absolutely cannot miss. Get ready for some fireworks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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