Darren Till has the opportunity of the lifetime this weekend when he faces off against Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson at UFC Liverpool on Sunday.
The Liverpudlian has charged up the UFC's welterweight rankings to number eight, after four wins and a draw, in his five contests in MMA's premier promotion thus far.
A knock-out win over Donald Cerrone last October put the Briton in the frame for a big fight and, due to other match-ups and injuries in the division, Till was offered the chance to take on number one contender, Stephen Thompson.
With Woodley currently out injured, and Rafael Dos Anjos facing Colby Covington in June - Till has jumped the queue to take on the American. Thompson is one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC and boasts a record of 14-2-1 heading into the contest.
'Wonderboy' has fought for the title twice, a controversial draw which earned 'Fight of the Night' honours against Tyron Woodley at UFC 205 in New York, followed by a razor-thin decision loss in the rematch at UFC 209. He rebounded from the defeat with a comprehensive decision win over Jorge Masvidal last time out.
Thompson is a unique striker, a five-time world kickboxing champion and holds an almost incredible record of 54-0, with 40 knock-outs, in the discipline.
Till is quickly turning into 'the next big thing' coming from Europe and a win on Saturday night should thrust him into title contention.
Thompson will provide him with his toughest test to date and is a huge step-up in class from his previous opponents. Till has been in confident mood ever since the contracts were signed and is riding the crest of a wave heading into the bout but Thompson is itching for a third crack at Woodley and a loss to Till could set him back at least a year from that goal.
The fight itself should be a classic, and, with a raucous atmosphere expected in Liverpool - we could be in for an early 'Fight of the Year' contender.
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
