
via Imago
Image Credits: Imago

via Imago
Image Credits: Imago
Darren Till‘s MMA career lost its momentum, marking the end of his UFC run after a series of setbacks and health struggles. Once a rising star and one of the most entertaining fighters in the promotion, the Englishman seemed destined for greatness. However, a brutal string of losses derailed his momentum, with Till later revealing that a lingering MCL injury had played a major role in his decline. Though his UFC chapter came to an end, his time in the sport left a lasting impression.
After parting ways with the UFC, Till has now become a critic of a variety of things. One of the things which he doesn’t like at all is professional fighters walking with a huge group. Fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Nate Diaz have been known for moving with their respective entourage. However, Darren Till doesn’t quite approve of this aspect of the sport at all. The 32-year-old recently sat down for a chat with Michael Bisping and Paul Felder on the former champion’s podcast.
While speaking on the podcast, he shared his honest opinion on what he feels about fighters moving with huge groups. He said, “So, like Nate Diaz, yeah, is a game he’s a game guy. I’m a fan of Nate Diaz, but I always see him with 20 people, 30 people, you know. I see Khabib 30, 40 people wherever they go. Like what’s that about? Like you are always with people. You’re scared.” Khabib Nurmagomedov and Nate Diaz have never been on good terms, and their heated encounters over the years prove it. One of their most infamous altercations took place at UFC 239 in 2019 inside the T-Mobile Arena.
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USA Today via Reuters
MMA: UFC 279-Diaz vs Ferguson, Sep 10, 2022 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Nate Diaz red gloves fights Tony Ferguson blue gloves during UFC 279 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports, 10.09.2022 21:13:24, 19026566, T-Mobile Arena, NPStrans, Tony Ferguson, Nate Diaz, MMA PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJoexCamporealex 19026566
But their bad blood runs even deeper. Back in 2015, they were involved in an even more chaotic incident at a World Series of Fighting event, where Diaz claimed he slapped Nurmagomedov. That confrontation turned violent, with even fighters like Nick Diaz and Kron Gracie getting caught up in the scuffle.
But let’s back up for a second here. Wasn’t Darren Till part of Khamzat Chimaev‘s entourage at one point? And didn’t they have a little incident where Chimaev had to defend Till’s Conor? Let’s take a walk down memory lane.
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Darren Till and Khamzat Chimaev once threatened Joaquin Buckley
One of Darren Till’s past run-ins with a fellow fighter brought back attention to an old confrontation that even got his close friend, Khamzat Chimaev, fired up. In a three-year-old video, UFC welterweight Joaquin Buckley approached Till in an attempt to persuade him into a fight. The encounter, though not overly hostile, clearly didn’t sit well with Chimaev, adding another layer to the tension.
“Darren, Darren, Darren, let me get money bro. You gotta let me get a fight bro. It’s been a minute, man. He at 170 right now,” Buckley said during the clip. Till seemed very confused with the question and replied “You wanna fight in July?” To Buckley’s utter delight, who suggested “Let’s fight in July. London?”
What’s your perspective on:
Are fighters with big entourages showing strength in numbers or hiding behind them out of fear?
Have an interesting take?
Hilariously Till failed to recognize ‘New Mansa’ which triggered Khamzat Chimaev more. The Chechen fighter felt he was some random guy or an influencer, who was acting tough and trolling Till. “Hey, let’s fight now,” Chimaev shouted at Buckley.
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Rather than being intimidated, Buckley seemed to enjoy the altercation and said, “Say wassup, on my mama [we’ll fight].” ‘Borz’ didn’t quite like the way Buckley responded and showed his anger by replying, “You wanna play gangster? I’m gonna f**k you up.” Fortunately, the situation didn’t spiral out of control. By the time Chimaev started exchanging words, both ‘Borz’ and Buckley were already walking away from each other, preventing the encounter from turning into something more heated.
Till might not be a big advocate of entourage, right now, but—like it or not— he was part of one at some point. But the big question is, do UFC fighters need to move with so many people around them? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Debate
Are fighters with big entourages showing strength in numbers or hiding behind them out of fear?