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Chael Sonnen has claimed Darren Till's recent response to a question about a title fight with Israel Adesanya was a sign of weakness and out of character for the middleweight.
On a recent episode of his Bad Guy Inc podcast, Sonnen explained that in the eyes of the press, Till is still a main eventer. He feels this is why the question was put forward to the Liverpudlian:
"When people talk to Till, they talk to him like a star. The questions keep coming back like a main eventer. The questions he keeps getting asked are what you would ask a main eventer, a No.1 contender. All of which, Till was."
Darren Till has lost four of his last five fights in the octagon. When asked recently about fighting 'The Last Stylebender' for the strap, 'The Gorilla' responded that the bout was "far off."
'The American Gangster' sees this as a lack of self-belief:
"Till, for the first time ever, gave a response that lacked confidence. The response to Adesanya, 'the fight is far off'... It is the first time Till has ever spoken and shown a weakness."
Chael Sonnen then expressed that Till's response was normal. Mixed results in the octagon and a torn ACL before his last bout against Derek Brunson is likely to make anyone hesitant. 'The American Gangster' believes Marvin Vettori would make a good matchup for 'The Gorilla' instead.
Darren Till, after losing to Brunson in 2021, moved to Stockholm, Sweden to train at the Allstars gym with Khamzat Chimaev. (Till is still officially a part of Team Kaobon, Liverpool.) The 29-year-old is hoping that the change will help close out the holes in his game, which has left him 1-4 in his last five visits to the octagon.
Watch Chael Sonnen speak about Darren Till below:
Who's next for Darren Till?
'The Gorilla' was undefeated in his professional career before facing Tyron Woodley for the welterweight title in 2018. A defeat to 'The Chosen One' would begin a period of mixed performances from the Englishman. Since his move to middleweight, Till has a 1-2 record. However, in his defense, he has fought stiff competition in Robert Whittaker, Kelvin Gastelum and Derek Brunson.
Currently No.8 in the middleweight rankings, Till has returned to full fitness following an ACL tear and is looking for an opponent in 2022. The Englishman has been very vocal about his desire to fight Uriah Hall. The two have exchanged stern words on social media and interviews, but as of yet, a fight has not been agreed upon.
Marvin Vettori also recently called out 'The Gorilla' after his scheduled opponent for UFC 275, Robert Whittaker, was forced to pull out through injury. If Till is to once again challenge for a title, he must go on a run of victories. A win over Uriah Hall or Marvin Vettori will put him right back in contention in the middleweight division.
