UFC welterweight Darren Till is only 24 years of age -- but this weekend's opportunity, a main event spot against Donald Cerrone in Poland, still has been a long time coming.
Till (15-0) is looking for his fourth win in the UFC on Saturday against Cerrone, in a five-round marquee at UFC Fight Night in Gdansk.
It is Till's first chance to headline a UFC card. Cerrone (32-9), who is 10 years older, will be doing so for the fifth time in his career. But even though Till is young, he's far from inexperienced when it comes to the fight game.
"I dropped out of school when I was 13," Till told ESPN. "Since I found fighting, I never thought about anything else. I didn't want to finish school. I hated school. I only wanted to fight.
"My mom was not OK with it. Neither was my dad. But they didn't have a choice in the matter. I've always been a strong-minded person and I just didn't want to go to school anymore."
Till began taking amateur muay Thai fights when he was 14. One year later, he says, he turned pro.
Over the next several years, he accumulated as many fights as he could. He fought in Thailand and Canada, "saving pennies" through odd jobs to pay for the travel.
At 17, he started to transition to mixed martial arts. And around Christmas 2012, at age 19, Till flew to Brazil to submerge himself in Brazilian culture and fighting style. He ended up staying there four years.
"I was originally meant to go for six months," Till said. "But when I got there and started training, I loved the place. I loved the food. I loved the life. I ended up meeting a girl there. She got pregnant real quick. I was there four years, dedicating my life to the ground game, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling. It was well-spent, professionally.
"I got the call to fight in the UFC. I left last Christmas and went home to England."
Upon returning home, Till rejoined his original Team Kaobon in Liverpool. He was forced to leave his daughter in Brazil, but believes fighting and training out of Liverpool is the best decision for his career.
When Till first started training, early in his life, he says his goal was "to be the best fighter ever in muay Thai. It wasn't about belts or money. I just wanted to be the best."
That's still the goal for Till, who has plainly said on numerous occasions he wishes to be the best fighter of all time, even though he's only going into his first UFC main event. He's willing to make sacrifices to get there -- and clearly he already has. Till believes he has the edge against the veteran Cerrone, based on a number of factors including his dedication to the craft.
"We all know 'Cowboy' is always taking last-minute fights, and that's a great mentality, but how is he training around that?" Till said. "We know he likes to party and enjoy life, and that's good, but to be a champion, some sacrifices have to be made. Maybe he's not willing to make certain sacrifices. I don't know. That's my own analysis.
"I'm championship level right now. I'm only 24, but I'm championship level. It's my time right now, easily."