UFC veteran and former middleweight champion Michael Bisping is the only British fighter till now to win the UFC championship. However, the UFC Hall of Famer believes that his compatriot, Darren Till, is not far away from claiming the gold.
Recently, ‘The Count’ appeared for an interview with ‘The Schmo’. The former champ talked about the present scenario in the UFC and when asked about Till, he opened his heart out for him.
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“Well Darren, I mean listen, he is a super popular guy,” Bisping said. “He has probably surpassed my popularity (in the UK). The man is hilarious.
“Me and Darren are good mates (and) I love the guy. I think he is phenomenal (and) I love everything about him. I love the way he fights (and) I love the way he carries himself.”
‘The Count’ further said, “I love how raw and honest he is. I think he is championship material. Darren is only 27 years old and I mean that’s crazy to think (about) the success he has had.”
Bisping then mentioned how he knows Till from his Thai boxing days. He also believes that although he (Till) had some losses here and there, those were close ones. Especially the one against Robert Whittaker was a very close affair, according to Bisping.
“I honestly believe, truly, hand on heart that at some point in his career, he will be the middleweight champion of the world,” Bisping concluded.
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How Darren Till has been faring recently
Till has fought 10 matches for UFC. Initially, he raced to a 6 fight unbeaten streak and the spectacular run saw him fetching a welterweight title opportunity at UFC 228 against Tyron Woodley.
He lost that fight via submission in round 2. This was his first loss in his entire professional career. He then went on to face Jorge Masvidal at UFC Fight Night 147, which handed him his second straight loss and first via KO/TKO. The fight was his last in welterweight as he moved to the middleweight division.
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The two losses on the trot certainly derailed his momentum, but Till bounced back with a split decision victory over Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 244. He then went on to lose another fight, this time a close encounter against the former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker at UFC on ESPN 14.
Presently, he is gearing up to face Derek Brunson at the August 14 UFC event. ‘Gorilla’ will hope to return on the winning path soon and challenge for the gold again.
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What did you make of Bisping’s thoughts on Till?
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