Darren Till is set to box Anthony Taylor on 18 January, after Tommy Fury’s withdrawal from the fight.
Fury, half-brother of former heavyweight champion Tyson, refused to face Till after the ex-UFC fighter threatened to kick him during the bout.
It seemed Till was joking, something he later reiterated, but the Liverpudlian was nevertheless left in need of a new opponent.
Now Till, 32, will face American Taylor, 35. The fight, which is scheduled to take place at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena, will mark Till’s professional boxing debut.
Till, whose exhibition boxing match with Mohammad Mutie ended in a brawl in July, is a former UFC title challenger. He was submitted by Tyron Woodley while vying for the welterweight belt in 2018.
Taylor is also a former mixed martial artist, having competed in Bellator, and has a 3-3 record as a pro boxer.
Mams Taylor, co-president of Misfits, the promotion running the 18 January event, said his team are seeking a new opponent for Fury.
“Tommy Fury pulled out,” he told Fred Talks Fighting. “Tommy wanted a replacement opponent, and to be honest with you, we’ll see what happens.
“We’re speaking with Tommy and his team and Big John [Fury, Tommy’s father], and seeing what we can work out.
“I’m not going to take Darren Till off that card, and I was never going to, because he didn’t do anything wrong in my view. He was promoting the fight.”
