TLDR
- Yoel Romero guarantees he will finish Darren Till at BKFC 94 on September 26 in Manchester, England
- The 49-year-old is seeking redemption after losing a unanimous decision in bareknuckle boxing in Russia this past March
- Romero plans to fight until age 52 and is treating this final career chapter like an Olympic cycle
- The Till fight is a one-fight deal with BKFC, allowing Romero flexibility to work with different promotions
- Both fighters are former UFC title challengers now competing in bareknuckle boxing
Sources: mmajunkie.usatoday.com
Yoel Romero says he will finish Darren Till when the two former UFC title challengers meet at BKFC 94 on September 26. The fight takes place at Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.
“Yes, of course I’m finishing him,” Romero told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. “Of course, I’m finishing. I’m finishing him. I’m finishing him.”
The 49-year-old fighter’s confidence comes despite Till’s known durability. Liverpool fighter Paddy Pimblett has famously said “Scousers don’t get knocked out,” but Romero believes that won’t matter in their bareknuckle boxing match.
Romero Still Embarrassed by Russia Loss
Romero’s determination stems from his last bareknuckle boxing bout. He lost a unanimous decision under IBA in Russia this past March, a result he remains embarrassed about.
“I feel bad about what happened in Russia, and I am not letting that happen again,” Romero said. “I’m not going to Manchester to do a St. Petersburg, no. That’s not happening.”
👏😤 They COOKED with this promo video of Darren Till and Yoel Romero fight in BKFC.
"The biggest fight in Bare Knuckle history."
🎥 @DAZN pic.twitter.com/m8J0JJQXt1
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) September 21, 2026
The veteran combat sports star revealed his mindset during the nearly four-minute faceoff with Till a few weeks ago. He said he was thinking about his feelings after returning from Russia during that intense staredown.
“I wasn’t there. I wasn’t there,” Romero said, referring to his performance in Russia. “We’ve taken the necessary precautions so that that doesn’t happen again.”
Romero has said he plans to fight until he turns 52 years old. He’s treating this final chapter of his career like an Olympic cycle, similar to his wrestling days representing Cuba.
“I told you at Gamebred, this is my final Olympic cycle,” Romero said. “Go look at what happened in my last Olympic cycle. I’m back with the same discipline and same dedication.”
One-Fight Deal Allows Flexibility
The fight with Till is a one-fight deal with BKFC. Romero explained that he doesn’t want to be tied to one specific promotion during this final stage of his career.
“I don’t see myself marrying a company or committing to a company – not BKFC, not IBA, no one,” Romero said. “I want to be able to have work mobility, and also that way I can make sure I’m active.”
Romero wants to stay busy to finish his career on top. He believes having the freedom to work with different promotions will help him remain active throughout the year.
“I want to finish this final Olympic cycle well, and that’s with a lot of movement throughout the year,” he said. “I’ve been working hard. I’m in really good form.”
Romero added that he would only retire before 52 if his faith dictated otherwise. “I said I was going to retire at 52 unless my creator tells me, ‘Your time under the lights is over,'” he explained.
Both Romero and Till challenged for UFC championships during their time with the promotion. Romero fought for the middleweight title multiple times, while Till competed for the welterweight championship.
The fight remains flexible beyond this bout, as Romero confirmed everything with BKFC is negotiable going forward.
