Darren Till has described himself and Khamzat Chimaev as the âbad guysâ after the latterâs victory at UFC 279.
Last Saturday night in the co-main event of UFC 279, Khamzat Chimaev put on a grappling clinic to submit Kevin Holland and register his sixth straight victory as part of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The win, which came at a catchweight, served as a further reminder of Chimaevâs abilities as he continues to climb up through the ranks of the promotion.
However, the week wasnât without controversy as Khamzat was forced to take on Holland in the wake of missing the 170-pound limit for his initial main event slot against Nate Diaz.
Chimaevâs miss, alongside his reaction in the days following and a scuffle before the Thursday press conference, led to quite a lot of boos both at the weigh-ins and on fight night itself in Las Vegas.
The man himself didnât really seem to care and as it turns out, the same can be said for his cornerman and close friend Darren Till.
Video: Darren Till embraces being a âbad guyâ with Khamzat Chimaev
âIâm speechless, guys. So many antics this week, itâs f***ing, weâre the bad guys, and now look. So, yeah, onwards and upwards. All my lips are cut, I canât speak man. Weâre the f***ing bad guys, letâs go!â
Itâs not yet known what the future will hold for Khamzat Chimaev but based on how dominant he looked against Holland, as well as how high up he is in the welterweight rankings, it isnât exactly a stretch to picture him in a high profile bout against someone like Colby Covington when he next appears in the Octagon.
The Gorilla returns
Darren Till has been on a poor run of form as of late with four defeats in his last five, including consecutive losses to Robert Whittaker and Derek Brunson at middleweight.
If heâs serious about becoming a contender at 185 pounds then he needs to prove it by putting a string of wins together, with that quest beginning at UFC 282 in December.
The man heâll be battling is rising star Dricus du Plessis who is 3-0 since entering the UFC with many believing he has the potential to become a real prospect for a future title shot in the years ahead.
Itâs a tough match-up, but stylistically speaking it should favour Till and allow him to showcase both his impressive striking skills as well as his improved ground game.