Darren Till has issued a warning to Marvin Vettori after his Italian rival called him irrelevant.

While he may not have been in the Octagon for almost a year, Darren Till is still one of the most talked-about middleweights in mixed martial arts. ‘The Gorilla’ is a larger than life personality and after heading to Sweden to train with Khamzat Chimaev, his stock has risen even further with many believing he has the potential to become a genuine contender with the help of ‘Borz’.

Alas, things haven’t gone his way in recent months, with the 29-year-old having to pull out of a scheduled UFC London bout against Jack Hermansson as a result of an undisclosed injury.

It’s the second time he’s had to do so in his last three outings after his showdown with Marvin Vettori last year was called off as a result of a broken collarbone.

As Vettori gears up for a return to the cage himself this weekend, he was asked about Till as a future opponent.

“I don’t think I ever even called out Darren Till, he’s actually completely irrelevant at this point in the division. Delusional.”

In response, Till made sure to let ‘The Italian Dream’ know that he’s still eager to fight him down the road.

“Marvin, listen, you big stupid b*****d. I wish you all the best this weekend in your fight, I hope you do really well because you’re a great fighter. But, let’s get one thing straight, I’m 29. When I’m healthy it’s just fight, fight, fight, that’s all I’ll be doing. There’s nothing I think about more than just fighting.

“So, what are you talking about? Stop trying to put me down, you big stupid ork. We’re gonna meet one day and I’m gonna drive my fist through your face.”

The return of Marvin

This Saturday night in the co-main event of UFC Paris, Marvin Vettori will lock horns with Robert Whittaker in a massive fight at 185 pounds.

If he wins, there’s every chance he could be right back in the running for another crack at the UFC middleweight championship - and potentially Israel Adesanya.