Tommy Fury has withdrawn from his boxing bout with mixed martial artist Darren Till.
The professional boxer was set to return to the ring for the first time in over a year next month in a match against Till at the Co-Op Live arena in Manchester.
However, Fury has now confirmed that he's pulled out of the fight, following remarks made by Till at a news conference last month. The Standard reported at the time that Till claimed he would be "kicking [Fury] in the face" if he were losing.
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"I can't believe I am writing this but I am now not fighting Darren Till on January 18th 2025," the former Love Island contestant wrote on his Instagram Stories.
"For the one simple reason being that Darren has stated over and over that he does not want to abide by professional boxing rules and that if he loses the fight he will resort to kicking and other stupid MMA tactics.
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"I am a professional boxer, I have been out of the ring for over a year and I wanted this to be a great BOXING fight for the fans.
"I have wasted weeks in training camp. We are working hard to get a new opponent and date. I promise to get a better opponent and better fight for you guys. Good news around the corner."
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Till has since posted a video on social media in which he insisted the comment about kicking Fury was merely a mind games tactic.
"Now John [Fury] was leaving the press conference saying they were pulling out, 'cause of the tactics I was saying I was going to use," Till said in a video posted on his X account.
"It's all mental warfare, it's all mental warfare. I don't need to kick Tommy Fury in the head to f**king beat him. I was gonna absolutely box his head off and knock him flat out."
In a second video, he added: "Never in a million years would I throw a head kick in a fight that is only boxing rules. I stick to the rules. I've always abided by the rules throughout my whole career."
Till additionally branded Fury "the biggest shithouse I've ever come across" in his second video and insisted in the accompanying caption that he was "selling the fight to make me and you more money".
The November 19 news conference Till referenced in his video ended in chaos, as Fury and Till's entourages clashed and had to be kept apart by security.
Away from the ring, Fury is set to make his acting debut in the upcoming black comedy crime film The Debt Inherited.
Written by Niki Sheldrake and directed Danny Sawaf, the film will follow brothers Colin and Stanley, who are faced with repaying their late father's debt to a notorious lone shark called Maggie.
"Soon enough, they become involved in a criminal underworld and entangled in a web of blackmail and deceit with a host of insalubrious characters," the synopsis adds.
Fury will reportedly play one of Maggie's no-nonsense henchmen, while Peaky Blinders actor Paul Anderson also stars.
The Debt Inherited doesn't have a release date yet.
Social Executive, Entertainment Portfolio After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022, where she wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona continued contributing to the site as a freelance reporter, becoming social executive for the Hearst UK entertainment portfolio in summer 2025. Iona now leads the DS social channels, covering red carpets with stars such as Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, and more.
