“In this life you don’t always get what you want,” the Briton wrote on the social network after the UFC 282 tournament. “It’s hard. I am 29 years old and I have been at the top of the sport since 2017. I came to UFC in 2015. I’m not retiring, this is not a farewell speech. I’m 29 and it would be stupid to end my career now, but at the moment I have a black streak, and I don’t know how to get out of it yet. It’s crazy, because when I spar in the gym with the best guys in the world, I feel in my element, but when I go into the octagon, I can’t put it all together. I have moments, like in the second round, when I am invulnerable, and then certain things happen.
“I just want to tell you all, both those who love me and those who hate me, excuse me. I try to go out and put on a show, give my all. I practice. Maybe even too much. I train like crazy. Over the past thirteen weeks, I gave my best, gave my all to the sport. I don’t know what to do now. I think I need to take a break and spend some time outside the UFC and rethink everything. I am not ending my career. I plan to fight next year, but for now I want to spend Christmas with my family and those who truly support me. My team is waiting for me at home. I hope you enjoyed the fight, it was a war. Bravo to Drikus”
The middleweight fight between Darren Till and Dricus Du Plessis, which became part of the main card of the event, ended in the middle of the third round with a submission loss to the Briton, with both participants receiving $50,000 as a Fight of the Night bonus.