The UFC is targeting a five-round middleweight fight between Darren Till and Derek Brunson in August, UFC president Dana White told ESPN on Wednesday.
The bout is close to being finalized but still needs medical clearance, White said. Once finalized, it will headline a UFC Fight Night event on Aug. 14 at a location to be announced, according to White.
Till (18-3-1) has not fought since he suffered a decision loss to former champion Robert Whittaker in July 2020. Till, of Liverpool, was scheduled to face Marvin Vettori on April 10 but was forced to withdraw with a broken collarbone.
Vettori went on to beat Kevin Holland on that date and is now scheduled to challenge Israel Adesanya for the title on June 12.
Brunson (22-7) is riding a four-fight winning streak. He upset Edmen Shahbazyan in a three-round decision last August, and he dominated Holland in a five-round main event in March.
Brunson and Till have gone back and forth on social media for weeks about a potential fight. They are ranked the Nos. 5 and 6 middleweights in the world, respectively.