DARREN TILL’S RETURN to the Octagon ended in a shock defeat on Saturday night when the Liverpool welterweight was knocked out by Jorge Masvidal in London.

The 26-year-old was coming off the back of his first promotion defeat last September when he suffered a second-round submission against then-champion, Tyron Woodley.

Many had tipped the English brawler to return in emphatic fashion against the number 11 ranked 170lb fighter in the UFC – but was stunned after he was caught with a left hook and finished in the second round.

Darren Till receives medical treatment after being knocked out. PA Wire / PA Images PA Wire / PA Images / PA Images

“Thank you, whether you booed or you cheered, everyone showed me so much love in the streets,” Masvidal said after the fight.

“I don’t throw [the left] often, I think he’d never seen me throw that and didn’t practice for it.

“England, I will be back!”

The 34-year-old was then involved in an altercation with co-main event winner and fellow welterweight, Leon Edwards, while giving interviews to the media.

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Edwards had already crossed swords with Till in the lead up to the fight but now appears to be on a collision course with Floridian.

Edwards overcame Iceland’s Gunnar Nelson in the night’s penultimate fight via split decision to launch himself into welterweight reckoning.

Earlier in the evening, Donegal native Joseph Duffy was soundly beaten by Marc Diakiese in their lightweight match-up, coming out on the wrong side of a unanimous decision verdict.

UFC London Results

• Jorge Masvidal def. Darren Till via knockout  (Round 2)
• Leon Edwards def. Gunnar Nelson via split decision
• Dominick Reyes def. Volkan Oezdemir via split decision
• Nathaniel Wood def. Jose Quinonez via submission (Round 2)
• Claudio Silva def. Danny Roberts via verbal submission (Round 3)
• Jack Marshman def. John Phillips via split decision
• Arnold Allen def. Jordan Rinaldi via unanimous decision
• Marc Diakiese def. Joe Duffy via unanimous decision
• Saparbek Safarov def. Nico Negumereanu via unanimous decision
• Dan Ige def. Danny Henry via submission (Round 1)
• McCann def. Priscila Cachoeira via unanimous decision
• Mike Grundy def. Nad Narimani via TKO (Round 2)

Bernard Jackman joins Murray Kinsella and Ryan Bailey on The42 Rugby Weekly as Ireland bid to spoil Wales’ Grand Slam party in Cardiff, and the U20s target their own piece of history.

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