“I think we have played each other 27 times in two years”: Luke Humphries admits Luke Littler rivalry is losing its edge

World number two fears frequent encounters are diluting what should be darts’ most compelling head-to-head battles

Luke Humphries has delivered a sobering assessment of his rivalry with Luke Littler, admitting that the sheer frequency of their encounters—27 matches in just two years—is causing what should be darts’ most compelling rivalry to lose its edge.

The defending Premier League champion made the candid admission ahead of night three in Glasgow, expressing concern that playing each other so regularly has diminished the significance and excitement of their blockbuster battles.

27 Meetings in Two Years

“I think it has been watered down a little bit. I think we have played each other 27 times in two years, which is a lot. It is a lot,” Humphries told Sky Sports.

The statistic is remarkable—27 head-to-head encounters in just 24 months represents more than one clash per month on average. For context, that’s more meetings than many legendary rivalries produced over entire careers.

“Most of the time it is due to the fact that we have been meeting in the later rounds because we are the best players”, the 30-year-old explained, acknowledging that their dominance naturally leads to frequent encounters as they both consistently reach the business end of tournaments.

Premier League Format Takes the Blame

Humphries singled out the Premier League’s structure—where eight players face each other in a knockout format each week for 16 weeks—as particularly problematic for maintaining the rivalry’s intensity.

“The Premier League dilutes it a little bit more. When we play in the Premier League, people don’t really care as much,” Humphries stated bluntly.

The current format guarantees multiple meetings between the same players throughout the season. With the eight competitors facing each other once during weeks 1-7, then the same pairings repeating during weeks 9-15, Humphries and Littler are assured of meeting at least twice—and potentially more if they both reach semi-finals or finals on the same nights.

Humphries explained that the Premier League format particularly diminishes the impact of their battles, with the repetitive nature of the competition meaning fans see the same matchups multiple times throughout the season, draining them of their special quality.

A Broader Phenomenon

Humphries pointed to tennis as evidence that this phenomenon extends beyond darts, citing the frequent meetings between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz as a comparable example.

The tennis comparison is apt—Sinner and Alcaraz have faced each other 11 times in just over two years, with their rivalry dominating the sport. Yet even that frequency pales in comparison to the 27 meetings between Humphries and Littler.

“It is going to happen to everybody. It is just the way it is with the format. Maybe it will change in the future,” Humphries said, suggesting acceptance of the situation while hinting that the PDC may need to reconsider their approach.

Seven Finals, Countless Semi-Finals

World No.2 Humphries and Littler have faced off in SEVEN major finals since 2024, with Humphries winning three and Littler claiming four.

The finals include:

• 2024 Premier League (Humphries won)
• 2024 Grand Slam of Darts (Littler won)
• 2024 Players Championship Finals (Humphries won)
• 2025 Premier League (Humphries won)
• 2025 Grand Slam of Darts (Littler won)
• 2026 World Masters (Littler won)
• Plus numerous other semi-final and quarter-final encounters

Beyond the finals, the pair have met in countless semi-finals, quarter-finals, and early-round matches across the Pro Tour, European Tour, and other major tournaments.

The One-Sided Recent Record

What makes the frequency even more painful for Humphries is that the rivalry has been entirely one-sided in recent months. Littler has won the last five consecutive meetings since Humphries defeated him in the 2025 Premier League final in May.

The most recent encounter—a heartbreaking 6-5 defeat in the Antwerp quarter-final—was particularly agonizing. Humphries raced into a commanding 4-1 advantage and appeared to be cruising towards victory. But Littler had other ideas, reeling off three consecutive legs to level things up at 4-4. The world number two managed to hold his throw and edge ahead 5-4, but the teenage sensation won the tenth leg to force a decider.

Littler surged ahead in that final leg, though he squandered match darts and gave Humphries a lifeline. It proved a chance too far for Cool Hand, who came agonisingly close on double 20 before narrowly missing double 10 with his follow-up attempt.

The frustration was evident as Humphries stamped his foot firmly on the oche – a genuine flash of anger from a player renowned for keeping his cool under pressure.

The Statistical Paradox

The Cheshire thrower sits sixth in the Premier League table despite boasting the highest running average of 101.31 in the competition.

The statistic perfectly encapsulates Humphries’ current predicament—he’s playing excellent darts but can’t convert performances into victories, particularly against Littler. The frustration of playing well but still losing to the same opponent repeatedly would test anyone’s patience.

PDC’s Format Dilemma

Humphries’ comments echo broader criticism of the Premier League format from players including Michael van Gerwen, who has called for a return to the old round-robin system with more varied matchups.

PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter has acknowledged that format changes are inevitable but maintains the current structure works based on attendance figures and television viewership.

“We always say that we do evaluate it and we will change it at some point, but we just feel at the moment the data shows us that this is the right format,” Porter told Sky Sports. “The crowds in the arenas love it, they love seeing a winner on the night, it keeps them entertained until the last dart, and the TV audience figures are great”.

However, Humphries’ specific concern—that the rivalry with Littler is being “watered down”—presents a different challenge. The PDC risks diminishing the appeal of their two biggest stars by overexposing their head-to-head battles.

The Tennis Model

In tennis, Sinner and Alcaraz meetings remain must-watch events despite their frequency because the structure of Grand Slams, Masters 1000s, and ATP Finals ensures varied settings and formats. Each encounter feels distinct—a clay-court Roland Garros final has a completely different atmosphere than a hard-court US Open semi-final.

Darts lacks this variety. The Premier League’s repetitive knockout format, combined with the frequency of Pro Tour events and major tournaments, means Humphries and Littler face each other in similar circumstances week after week, month after month.

The oche looks the same, the format feels familiar, and the novelty wears off with each successive meeting.

Different Reactions to Defeat

The contrast in how the two Lukes handle their frequent encounters is telling. After his opening night defeat to Gian van Veen in Newcastle, Littler was remarkably philosophical: “Every week is a different event and every stage represents a different challenge, in my opinion. I’m not under any pressure this year and I don’t need to put pressure on myself”.

Humphries, however, showed visible frustration after his Antwerp defeat—a rare public display of emotion that suggested the accumulation of defeats to his younger rival is taking its toll.

The Declaration of War

The frequency of their meetings hasn’t dampened the competitive fire, at least. After losing the Grand Slam of Darts final to Littler in November 2025, Humphries famously “declared war,” saying: “I am ready for the Worlds now. I am going to win the Worlds. I am declaring war because I am obviously disappointed to lose the last three finals.”

“One game a day suits me. We are going to go to war. World Championships, me and him in a final. We are going to see who is the number one there,” Humphries added.

The declaration didn’t work out as planned—Littler went on to successfully defend his world title while Humphries fell short once again.

What Comes Next?

With 14 Premier League nights still remaining in the 2026 season, plus the European Tour, World Series events, and other majors throughout the year, Humphries and Littler are guaranteed to add many more chapters to their rivalry.

The question Humphries has raised is whether those chapters will maintain the intensity and drama that made their early encounters so compelling, or whether—as he fears—the sheer volume of meetings will continue to dilute the significance of each clash.

By the end of 2026, the pair could easily have met 40 times in three years—a frequency unprecedented in modern darts and potentially damaging to what should be the sport’s marquee rivalry.

The Verdict

Luke Humphries’ admission that his rivalry with Luke Littler has been “watered down” by their 27 meetings in two years represents a significant moment in modern darts. It highlights the challenge facing the PDC as the sport grows: how to balance regular content and fan access with maintaining the prestige of marquee matchups.

For Humphries personally, the revelation suggests growing frustration—not just with losing to Littler, but with the feeling that their encounters no longer carry the weight they once did. When playing your greatest rival becomes routine rather than special, something fundamental has changed.

The PDC may need to reconsider whether seeing Humphries vs Littler every few weeks truly serves the sport’s best interests, or whether preserving the rivalry’s mystique requires more careful curation of their meetings.

As Humphries put it bluntly: “When we play in the Premier League, people don’t really care as much.” That’s a damning indictment of overexposure, and one the PDC would be wise to heed.

For now, though, the Luke vs Luke show continues—27 matches and counting. Whether fans still care by match 50 remains to be seen.