5 fights for Darren Till to take next

#4. Jack Hermansson vs. Darren Till

Jack Hermansson has a record of 22-6

Jack Hermansson likely makes more sense as Darren Till's next opponent as he may not carry quite as much of a threat. 'The Joker' has had mixed success amongst the division's elite. He beat Kelvin Gastelum and Edmen Shahbazyan but lost to Jared Cannonier and Marvin Vettori in his last four bouts.

Marvin Vettori defeats Jack Hermansson via unanimous decision!Both men broke the record for the most significant strikes in a main event bout between two middleweights!What a fight!#UFCVegas16 pic.twitter.com/WIrsUsXqNM

— The Fight Bubble (@thefightbubble) December 6, 2020

It seems fair to say that the Swedish native would present a very slight step down in competition for Darren Till.

An additional bonus would be this pairing's popularity in Europe. It could appeal to the UFC, who are seemingly looking to return to the United Kingdom relatively soon.

Perhaps the one negative is that Hermansson is still a very tricky fight for Till. He would perhaps be better off picking up a win or two before jumping back in against such an established fighter.

Hermansson does not currently have his next bout scheduled after his victory over Shahbazyan. Should Till wish to get back in the octagon sooner rather than later, 'The Joker' could be a good fit.

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#3. Kelvin Gastelum vs. Darren Till II

Kelvin Gastelum holds a record of 16-8 (1 NC)

Kelvin Gastelum presents a different challenge for Darren Till, given that the two have already fought before. Till picked up a victory on that occasion, winning via split decision in his middleweight debut at UFC 244.

Darren Till defeats Kelvin Gastelum by split decision.#UFC244 pic.twitter.com/2dVKghTGD8

— Bleacher Report MMA (@BR_MMA) November 3, 2019

Darren Till's victory over Gastelum is one of the reasons this bout makes some sense. 'The Gorilla', in theory, wouldn't have to make that much progress to recreate the performance that saw him win this bout previously. He could pick up a win over a strong middleweight contender and return to the top of the division.

It also gives Darren Till the chance to practice his takedown defense, which let him down against Brunson, given Gastelum is a talented wrestler himself. There also seems to be less risk in this one as the Englishman will know if he can effectively replicate his previous gameplan he can have success.

However, there are some doubts regarding this bout from a match-making perspective. Both of these fighters are popular big-name fighters who haven't turned 30 yet. They are also both at cross-roads in their respective careers as they've both lost their last two bouts.

Instead of pitting these two against each other and leaving the loser in a very deep hole, it makes more sense for the UFC to try and build these two stars back up. Look for both men to likely face lower-ranked opponents next and then perhaps we could see a rematch down the line.