The UFC is finalizing a middleweight contest between Darren Till and Dricus Du Plessis in December, multiple sources told ESPN.
Contracts have not been signed, but both sides have agreed to a date and opponent. The 185-pound contest will take place at UFC 282 on Dec. 10 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Till (18-4-1), of Liverpool, hasn't fought since September 2021. The 29-year-old has struggled to stay healthy in recent years. He went into his last fight against Derek Brunson with a knee injury and was forced to withdraw from his last scheduled fight against Jack Hermansson in July due to injury.
In a recent statement to ESPN, Till said he is focused on slowly building his body back to full strength before possibly competing twice before the end of the year. That goal seems unlikely, as there is only one UFC event left in 2022 after Dec. 10. In any case, Till has predicted an enormous comeback in 2023.
A former welterweight title challenger, Till has lost four of his last five, but those have all come against highly ranked competition.
Du Plessis (17-2) is an intriguing middleweight contender from South Africa. The 28-year-old signed with the UFC in 2020 and has gone 3-0 since with two knockouts. He is coming off a decision win over veteran Brad Tavares in July.
The UFC has not yet announced a main event for the UFC 282 pay-per-view.