Khamzat Chimaev has reached out to Darren Till, proposing they collaborate again in preparation for Chimaev`s upcoming world title shot.
The two fighters developed a popular bond in late 2022, but their joint training decreased after Till transitioned to boxing. However, they plan to resume training together as Chimaev prepares to challenge Dricus Du Plessis for the UFC middleweight title.
Chimaev and Du Plessis are anticipated to compete for the championship later this year, following recent denials of the champion`s injury reports. Given Till`s experience fighting Du Plessis in 2023, his insights could be highly beneficial to Chimaev.
Till and Chimaev Team Up Again for Title Prep
Before his upcoming Misfits Boxing match against Darren Stewart in Derby on May 16, Darren Till confirmed renewed contact with Khamzat Chimaev. After having a competitive fight against Du Plessis in his last UFC bout, Till is expected to rejoin Chimaev`s training camp for the championship contest.
Till shared details of their conversation, stating, “He asked me to come over and help with the striking stuff. So I said I would. If the stars align for that I`d love to get over for that… I spend loads of time in Dubai, my mate Bren is out there.” He mentioned the possibility of training in Dubai.
Till expressed enthusiasm for the reunion, saying, “I`d love to go over to be honest. I love Khamzat, he`s one of my good friends still, we FaceTime a lot…” He offered his assessment of Chimaev`s potential against Du Plessis: “I think Khamzat the first two rounds is unstoppable. Obviously his cardio and conditioning has been questioned but I think he`s fit as f—. If he`s so prepared for a fight like that, I don`t see how DDP beats him. But DDP keeps beating everyone, so I`m not going to look past him but I just can`t see him beating Khamzat, he`s just too strong for him and he`ll submit him, that`s what I`m predicting.”
Till`s Previous Encounter with Du Plessis
In his fight against Du Plessis, Till faced difficulties in the initial round but dominated the second. Despite appearing poised for a decision victory or draw in the third, he was ultimately taken down and submitted.
Du Plessis` reputation as a formidable champion stems from his knack for securing victory even from challenging positions. His path to the title includes notable upset wins against fighters like Robert Whittaker, Israel Adesanya, and Sean Strickland.
Commenting on Du Plessis` consistent wins, Till remarked, “He`s beat them all. You have to give the guy props, he gets the win, he gets the job done so who are we to hate? Who are we to judge? Fair play to the guy, that`s what I think anyway.”
