BKFC promises 'big names' for Till after Jake Paul loss

Darren Till will not be fighting Jake Paul on Christmas Eve.

That slot belongs to Cedric Doumbe, the former kickboxing champion who Paul announced as his opponent for a December 24 cruiserweight bout in the Middle East.

But Till, the former UFC middleweight contender, may not be left waiting long for his next big opportunity.

BKFC president David Feldman told MMA Fighting that the promotion has “big names” lined up for Till “very, very shortly.”

“We’re going to have some big names for Darren Till in the mix very, very shortly,” Feldman said.

“One of them will be part of our announcement we’re going to make in the next couple weeks.”

Feldman’s comments came as he explained why BKFC did not match Till against Paul.

“It comes to do we have something for Darren Till that makes sense?” Feldman said.

“Is the timing going to be right?”

“If we have to lay him off for eight, nine months, it’s only fair to let him go out and make a payday because the momentum’s going to be killed anyway if we don’t have a fight for him.”

“But if we have a fight that I think we’re going to have in the next two weeks to announce, then obviously he’s fighting for BKFC.”

“If we don’t then there is an option for him to possibly to fight a Jake Paul or something like that.”

Till had been linked to a potential matchup with Paul after Paul’s previous fight against Yoel Romero at BKFC 94.

That fight, which Paul won by decision, was described as a “chess match” by observers.

Paul is now set to face Doumbe, a two-time world champion in kickboxing who made the switch to MMA in 2021.

Doumbe has not fought since knocking out Jaleel Willis over two years ago.

Paul, meanwhile, is coming off a brutal knockout loss to Anthony Joshua last Christmas, which also left him with a broken jaw.

His last win came in June 2025 against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

BKFC’s promise of “big names” for Till suggests the promotion sees him as a key piece of its roster going forward.

Feldman’s timeline — an announcement within the next couple weeks — means fans may not have to wait long to learn Till’s next opponent.

The identity of that opponent remains unknown, but Feldman’s language suggests it will be a recognizable name in combat sports.

Till, who fought in the UFC from 2015 to 2023, made his BKFC debut earlier this year.

He has been vocal about wanting big fights, including against Paul.

That matchup now appears off the table, at least for the immediate future.

But Feldman left the door open, saying that if BKFC cannot find Till a suitable fight, the option to face Paul could still exist.

For now, BKFC is betting that the name they announce will keep Till in the promotion.

The bare-knuckle boxing league has been expanding its roster with former UFC fighters and other combat sports veterans.