DARREN TILL salvaged some Liverpool glory after beating American hero Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson on a unanimous decision at the Echo Arena.
After Jurgen Klopp’s men were thumped in the Champions League final and fellow Scouser Molly McCann lost earlier in the night, it was down to Till to save the day – and he did.
The judges scored the bout 48-47, 49-46, 49-46 for the more aggressive and forward-marching native.
Till was grinning wildly before the bout, flashing his black mouthguard for all to see.
The 25-year-old was clearly over the disastrous weight cut that cost him a third of his payday.
American karate king Thompson relished entering enemy territory and felt he had nothing to prove as the No1 welterweight contender.
There was good spirits between the two, a bow and a handshake before the octagon gate shut and then a high-five to signal the start.
Southpaw Till looked every inch of his ‘Gorilla’ nickname and even though he was banned from weighing more than 188lbs by 1pm on Sunday, he looked far larger than the visitor.
Tentative high kicks from both men had little success with Till looking to land his trademark left hand finisher.
Wonderboy – considered the best striker in MMA – dampened the crowd with his solid defence, the “Ole, Oles” dying out inside the first three minutes.
The Brit was the aggressor, forcing Thompson to circle the cage but the first round was an exercise in footwork and little else.
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In the second round both men upped the ante and took risks inside the first 30 seconds.
The first’s first clinch began and finished in a blink without a serious exchange.
Till’s leg kicks oozed venom but the failed to deter Thompson who looked to counter every advance from the hometown favourite.
Thompson stumbled back in the final minute of the round but it looked like a slim more than a clean hit from Till.
Thompson’s powers of evasion were evident in the third when Till tried to take the tempo up again but could not land his shots.
And Wonderboy landed with a clean right hand that Till acknowledged for its accuracy more than its power.
An accidental eye-poke from Thomspon in the third caused a brief delay and Till finished the round superbly with a couple of big shots that got the crowed pumped.
The start of round four meant Till was in the longest fight of his unblemished MMA career.
And he looked at home, not just in the UFC championship rounds but in with an operator as classy as Thompson.
A double jab and left hand from Till in the final two minutes dropped Wonderboy but as Till dived in for a guillotine finish, the slick sweat on his torso robbed him of any traction and the US star escaped.
And Till climbed the cage to celebrate at the final bell as he knew his knockdown had secured him a points win.
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