Darren Till vs. Stephen Thompson targeted for Liverpool’s UFC Fight Night 130 headliner

The UFC’s upcoming event in Liverpool appears to have its headliner.

As previously announced, welterweight Darren Till (16-0-1 MMA, 4-0-1 UFC) will headline the card. Now, he has a likely opponent: Stephen Thompson (14-2-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC).

A person close to one of the fighters told MMAjunkie Friday the bout should soon be signed and formally announced. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because UFC officials haven’t made a formal announcement.

BJPenn.com first reported the targeted matchup.

UFC Fight Night 130 takes place May 27 at Echo Arena, and the card airs on FS1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass, though the full fight card and official bout order haven’t been finalized.

Till is No. 9 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA welterweight rankings, and former title challenger Thompson is No. 2.

Till, a 25-year-old Englishman who will be the clear crowd favorite at UFC Fight Night 130, has won 16 of 17 fights with 12 stoppages. What’s arguably his biggest win to date came in his most recent bout, when he scored a TKO victory over Donald Cerrone back in October. It marked Till’s first UFC headliner. He’s now 3-0 since a “Fight of the Night” majority draw with Nicolas Dalby in 2015.

He next meets Thompson, who went 0-1-1 in a pair of fights with reigning welterweight champ Tyron Woodley from 2016-2017. However, in his most recent, the 35-year-old “Wonderboy” rebounded with a decision victory over Jorge Masvidal. A win over fast-rising Till could give Thompson the momentum he needs for another shot at the belt.

The latest UFC Fight Night 130 card includes:

• Stephen Thompson vs. Darren Till
• Tom Breese vs. Daniel Kelly
• Trevor Smith vs. Elias Theodorou
• Eric Spicely vs. Darren Stewart
• Lina Lansberg vs. Gina Mazany
• Makwan Amirkhani vs. Jason Knight

For more on UFC Fight Night 130, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.