Former UFC star Darren Till has made a bold statement about reigning UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland. The English fighter recently said that a fully fit version of himself would have defeated Strickland despite the champion's recent success inside the Octagon. Till shared his thoughts during a live stream while discussing Strickland's title win over Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328.
Darren Till's UFC Career
Till was once seen as one of the brightest talents in the UFC welterweight division. The Liverpool-born fighter quickly rose through the rankings and earned a title shot against former champion Tyron Woodley. However, he lost that fight by submission and later struggled to regain momentum in the promotion. After several defeats, Till eventually left the UFC and shifted his focus away from mixed martial arts competition.
Darren Till backs himself against Sean Strickland
During the stream, Darren Till admitted that Sean Strickland deserves credit for defeating Khamzat Chimaev. Still, he strongly believes that his own skill set would have been enough to beat the American champion if he had been healthy and at his peak. Till explained that many people around him also believed he matched up well against Strickland.
"I look at Sean Strickland now, he's just beat Khamzat," he said during a live stream on Kick. "I know for a fact, me 100 percent healthy, I take him out. I know I would. Everyone even says it. It's easy for me to say it, he's the champion, but I trust in my skill set," Till said in the livestream. The former UFC contender suggested that confidence in his striking and overall abilities makes him certain about the outcome of such a fight. While he acknowledged that it may sound strange because Strickland currently holds the championship, Till insisted he has always trusted his talent inside the cage.
Many fans may find Till's comments surprising because his UFC career ended on a difficult run. He suffered multiple losses before stepping away from the organization. Despite that, Till remains active in combat sports discussions and still keeps close ties with Chimaev, one of the biggest stars in MMA today.
At the moment, Till appears focused on opportunities outside the UFC. Similar to former UFC fighter Mike Perry, he seems interested in building a successful post-UFC career in other combat sports ventures.
For now, though, a fight between Till and Strickland looks highly unlikely. Till is no longer competing in the UFC, while Strickland continues his reign in one of the promotion's toughest divisions.
