Should controversial UFC welterweight Colby Covington meet Khamzat Chimaev inside the Octagon, Darren Till predicts “Chaos” will get knocked out.
Speaking recently with Submission Radio, Till assessed the potential fight between “Chaos” and Chimaev. Covington holds the No. 1-ranked welterweight spot in the official UFC rankings, and Chimaev surged into the No. 3 spot after picking up a win over Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 on April 9.
Before the all-time classic war, UFC president Dana White said that should “Borz” beat Burns, he’d aim to schedule Covington versus Chimaev for later in the year.
Till, who trains with Chimaev, told the outlet that he wants to watch Borz fight Covington in a five-round contest. Although he views Chaos as a prime competitor, he doesn’t think the brash trash-talker can withstand Borz’s power.
“I would like to see him fight Colby in a five-round main event, and I think that’s the best thing for both guys,” Till said via MMA Weekly. “I think Khamzat can knock him out. I don’t think Colby’s felt power like Khamzat. Like, I’ve changed my opinion a bit because Colby’s a good fighter, but I just don’t see who he’s fighting who’s at the top of the level right now.”
“Obviously Usman, but like, there’s no one (else),” he continued. “Khamzat’s obviously come up real quick. I just think Khamzat’s got so much power and edge over him. Listen, Colby’s a terrific fighter. He’s phenomenal, but I see the win there with Khamzat, and I’d love to see that to get him ready for the title for Usman.”
Till Is Happy Burns Tested Chimaev During UFC 273
Before April 9, Borz had been nothing but dominant inside the Octagon. But that wasn’t the case at UFC 273. Burns gave Chimaev everything he could handle, and the Brazilian even dropped Borz in the second round.
It was a tit-for-tat, bloody battle that showed off both fighters’ grit and resilience. And Till is happy about that.
“I knew what Khamzat had and what he has inside, but what the best thing I think for this fight is, that he’s tasted a bit of getting punched and having to dig deep for the win,” Till said. “Cause that changes you as a fighter, as a man. So, I said to him backstage, I said to him, ‘That’s what you needed.’”
How the Fight Played Out for Chimaev Was the ‘Best Outcome,’ Till Said
Till continued, saying Chimaev fought an “unmovable force” in Jacksonville, Florida.
“Like, this is probably the best outcome you could have had, because now you’re going to train even harder, and you’re gonna listen to your coaches’ strategy more, and it’s not just about going out there and knocking guys out and toughing guys out, because you’re gonna go up an unmovable force one day, which we came up against,” Till continued. “Like, Gilbert on the night, he was strong and durable and stuff like that, so it was probably the best outcome in my opinion.”
With the win, Chimaev improved his professional MMA record to 11-0. On the other end, Covington (17-3) rebounded from his second failed effort to take Kamaru Usman’s welterweight belt by beating Jorge Masvidal via unanimous decision at UFC 272 last month.
Darren Till Makes Bold UFC Prediction Regarding Colby Covington