Dana White’s UFC is far more than a soulless corporation on the mixed martial arts stage; it’s a treasure chest of captivating stories, rivalries, trash talk, hate, and friendships, all intertwined. One notable example is the understated friendship between Khamzat Chimaev, currently ranked #12 in the middleweight division, and former UFC fighter Darren Till, who has since made waves in boxing. Although their careers have taken different paths and they don’t spend as much time together, they continue to support each other.

Recently, ‘The Gorilla’ even sent a warning to ‘Borz’s’ upcoming opponent, confidently stating, “Khamzat does beat him.” There is much to uncover about this lighthearted banter, so let’s dive into the strong bond between Chimaev and Till and explore where their friendship stands today.

How did Khamzat Chimaev and Darren Till become friends?

Darren Till is regarded as one of the UK’s finest MMA exports. He boasts an impressive 18-5 professional record, and from his transition into MMA in 2013 until 2018, ‘The Gorilla’ remained undefeated across 17 fights, including five wins in the UFC. However, most of his golden run occurred before joining the UFC. Things took a sharp downturn at UFC 228 when Till challenged then-welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, leading to a series of disappointing losses thereafter, including a defeat to Derek Brunson in 2021 that shattered his confidence.

One silver lining emerged when undefeated fighter Khamzat Chimaev noticed Darren Till’s struggles and extended an invitation for him to train at his Allstars Gym in Sweden to improve his wrestling skills. Reflecting on this in a 2021 interview with BT Sport, ‘Borz’ said, “Darren’s a cool and funny guy. I felt sorry for him after the Brunson loss. He’s had a rough patch lately with several defeats. I believe he’s a good fighter, but he needs to train harder. I invited him to Stockholm; he’ll be welcome here. we can do some sparring together.”

Little did anyone anticipate that this simple invitation from Chimaev would lay the foundation for a strong friendship. Their bond grew beyond the gym and sparring sessions, as they readily exchanged friendly jabs at each other.

Chimaev and Till engage in a hilarious exchange

The famous quote, “A best friend will laugh at you and then help you up,” perfectly fits the bromance between Khamzat Chimaev and Darren Till, who were once potential rivals before finding themselves training together. However, this duo hasn’t made any recent public appearances together since the Brit shifted his focus from wrestling to boxing after parting ways with the UFC in 2023. He is now looking to take exhibition fights against someone like Jake Paul or KSI. Meanwhile, the Chenchen native is focused on his MMA career, aiming for the middleweight title.

A genuine friendship isn’t complete without taking jabs at each other, and ‘Borz’ did just that back in September 2022 when he was set to face Nate Diaz but failed to make weight. This incident led to a shift to a catchweight fight against Kevin Holland, and Khamzat Chimaev humorously linked his weight gain to the influence of Darren Till, whom he labeled as “a real fatso.” Chimaev claimed, “Before I met you, I never missed weight. Because you eat chocolate every day, brother. I couldn’t stop as well. You don’t have discipline, bro. That’s why you’re not close to me now; you’re in Liverpool. You drink beer every day, man.”

‘The Gorilla’ wasn’t shy about making fun of his friend in response, asserting, “Khamzat, don’t you dare. I never ate chocolate around you. Never! You were worse than me! I am in training camp. Don’t come here, brother. You are going to destroy everything, man. Let me train. After the fight, I can see you.” Chimaev and Till certainly showcased friendship goals in that moment, leading fans to wonder how their friendship stands in today’s scenario.

Borz answers if he is still friends with Till

It is perfectly valid to refer to the friendship between guys as the ‘cactus plant’, a resilient bond that requires minimal attention and care but remains steadfast. Just like a cactus, true friendship can thrive even with low maintenance, and the connection between friends stays intact, regardless of how often they see each other or if considerable time passes without communication.

This sentiment was echoed by Khamzat Chimaev last year during an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. When the host highlighted that Darren Till is no longer in the UFC and asked, “Now that Darren Till’s no longer in the UFC, you’re not gonna be friends with him anymore, right? I mean, it’s a little bit embarrassing. I mean, come on, right?” Chimaev promptly dismissed any rumors, stating, “We are always together, big brother. love that guy. I am happy I met that guy in my life.”

Now all eyes are on the upcoming UFC 308 event in Abu Dhabi, just about a week away, where Khamzat Chimaev will square off against his toughest opponent yet, former champion Robert Whittaker. It will be intriguing to see if his friend Darren Till will be there at the Etihad Arena to cheer him on, as he has already predicted ‘Borz’s’ victory in the upcoming event. Stay tuned for further updates.