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Coming out of UFC on FOX 26, where Rafael dos Anjos defeated Robbie Lawler and Santiago Ponzinibbio got past Mike Perry, the welterweight division is one of the most intriguing in the UFC.

And rising young star Darren Till is well aware.

Till is excited by this development, even if he is a “little disappointed” by Perry’s loss ending any chance of a fight between them next. Now it’s time to decide what makes the most sense after dismantling former title contender Donald Cerrone in October.

“I just don’t know right now what fight’s good,” Till said Tuesday on the “Obviously Fight Talk” podcast. “There’s just so many options. There’s Santiago, (Kamaru) Usman. ‘Wonderboy’ doesn’t want to fight me, but he’s saying he’s ready to fight in March, said he has the injury. So I don’t know what’s going on there.

“You’ve got dos Anjos and Lawler; they just fought. Lawler is coming off a loss. Dos Anjos is probably ready for the title. You’ve got Colby (Covington). So, the welterweight top 10 now is really up in the air.”

Indeed, it’s a fun time for the division – with or without champion Tyron Woodley, who will be sidelined indefinitely after undergoing surgery Tuesday to repair a partially torn labrum. What’s a guy like Till supposed to do now that he’s on the receiving end of increased callouts ever since his TKO of Cerrone?

For starters, Till is waiting until after Christmas to see if the UFC will book him for March’s UFC Fight Night 127 in London or perhaps an April event in Liverpool. The UFC has yet to hold an event in Till’s hometown, and nothing is official, though he insists it will “99 percent” happen in the early part of 2018.

In either case, Till will be ready, and he knows who he wants to fight.

“I want to fight ‘Wonderboy,’” Till said, referencing contender Stephen Thompson.

Till (16-0-1 MMA, 4-0-1 UFC) vs. Thompson (14-2-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) seemed to come to fruition last month, when UFC President Dana White gave his stamp of approval. But it was never that close, according to Till.

“I think it was just Dana getting excited,” he said. “I think it was just Dana liking me and wanting me to fight ‘Wonderboy’ and whatever.”

Regardless, it’s the fight Thompson desires. Whether or not the feeling is mutual is another story. In response to White’s wish, Thompson’s father and coach, Ray Thompson, said last month there was no interest in a matchup with Till.

Till, however, is of the belief that Thompson feels differently and would welcome the challenge against a rising star.

“I don’t see ‘Wonderboy’ as a guy who’s going to neglect fights like so,” Till said.

“But, you know, he’s got to fight me sooner than later, because he’s up there in the top three,” he continued. “So why doesn’t he just fight me now?”

Not surprisingly, Till likes his chances against Thompson. That’s one reason he wants the fight. Another? He wants to give fans matchup he knows they want to see.

“He’s a world-class striker, he really is,” Till said. “Good guy, he’s respectful, but I know I beat him. And I know it’s a fight that’s good for the public. He likes to stand and bang, and I like to stand and bang. And I just believe I’m a superior striker.”

But even if it’s not Thompson as his next opponent, Till knows he’ll be in high demand. He blames White for that, though he welcomes the territory.

“Everyone is angry that Dana White said I was the future, and he never said that they were the future,” Till said. “So, yeah, everyone wants a piece of me, and everyone wants to knock me off my perch. Which is OK, it’s good. There’s a target on my back, but it’s what comes with it.”

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, visit the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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