UFC welterweight Khamzat Chimaev has invited 185-pound contender Darren Till to Sweden so that he can help improve the Englishman’s wrestling and ground game.
Till was last in action against #4-ranked middleweight Derek Brunson. In the main event of a European-heavy UFC Vegas 36 card, “The Gorilla” hoped to emerge as new threat to Israel Adesanya’s title. But in the third round of the UFC Apex’s 36th Fight Night headliner, the Liverpudlian tapped to a tight rear-naked choke. Despite appearing to be rocked moments prior to the fight-ending sequence, Brunson was largely untested for the bout’s 12-minute duration.
The September defeat marked Till’s second consecutive loss, and his fourth in his last five outings. After back-to-back setbacks against Tyron Woodley and Jorge Masvidal, Till made the move up to middleweight. His debut came at UFC 244 and was encouraging. A split decision victory over Kelvin Gastelum set up a meeting with former champion Robert Whittaker last summer. In a competitive fiver-round affair, it was “The Reaper” who came out on top.
While his defeat to the New-Zealand born Aussie did little to harm his reputation as a contender, the domination he suffered at the hands of Brunson last month certainly has.
DOMINATION
@DerekBrunson calls for a rematch with the champ after submitting Till. #UFCVegas36 pic.twitter.com/0q8dzG2z2u
— UFC (@ufc) September 4, 2021
Chimaev Invites “The Gorilla” To Sweden
Till’s latest defeat was his second submission loss, and the second fight where his shortcomings on the ground have been exposed. It’s clear that if he’s to make a serious run for the 185-pound gold, improvements to his wrestling will have to be made. One talented grappler has offered to lend the Englishman a helping hand.
Speaking during an interview with BT Sport, “Borz” revealed his thoughts on Till, whom he’s shared numerous hilarious interactions on social media with in the past. The Chechen-born Swede is sad to see the former welterweight title challenger’s torrid run of form, and suggested “The Gorilla” needs to prepare better ahead of his next outing.
“I like this guy actually. He’s funny, funny guy. And I feel sorry for him (about) that last fight; he lose many fights last time. I think he’s good but have to train harder.” (h/t Sportskeeda)
Chimaev also offered to aid Till’s quest to improve his wrestling game. The 27-year-old has shown his willingness to help fellow fighters in the past. Having brutally dominated John Phillips in his promotional debut, Chimaev was seen guiding the Englishman through takedown defense drills ahead of his former opponent’s next fight.
Whilst he’s yet to meet Till inside the Octagon, Chimaev is still open to helping Till improve his ground game. He encouraged the #8-ranked middleweight to travel to Stockholm, where Chimaev resides in Sweden.
“If he wanna come to Stockholm, he welcome. I told him, ‘I can help him with the wrestling or something. We can spar. We can train.’”
Before spreading his knowledge and skills elsewhere, Chimaev will have to have them available to utilize himself when he returns to action this weekend. “Borz” hasn’t competed since his third UFC appearance last September, where he viciously knocked out Gerald Meerschaert in just 17 seconds.
After a battle with COVID-19 and over a year away from the cage, Chimaev will return to Abu Dhabi for UFC 267 this Saturday. He’ll be looking to pick up where he left off from on Fight Island last July, where he picked up two wins in the span of just 10 days.
Do you think Khamzat Chimaev will make a successful return against Li Jingliang at UFC 267 this weekend?
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