- Derek Brunson and Darren Till face at the UFC Fight Night 191.
- The winner of this one could be the next middleweight challenger.
- Till is a favorite coming into this bout, despite his recent loss to Robert Whittaker.
Derek Burson is going up in recent times and wants to add another win in his column, increasing his prospects of taking a shot at the belt. The same goes for Darren Till, one of the best fighters in the division, who had one rough period that most definitely slowed down his strive for greatness. Saturday’s bout is a unique chance for both guys to add a major plus to the resume and cement their place in the middleweight elite.
Brunson vs. Till Schedule
- Where: UFC Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada
- When: Saturday, September 4, 10:30 pm ET
- How to Watch: ESPN+
Brunson vs. Till Odds
| Brunson | Till |
|---|---|
| +135 | -175 |
The Last Push for Brunson
This 37-year old is trying to catch his last wagon towards success in the UFC. After having a mediocre career, filled with wins against low-ranked rivals, and defeats versus big dogs, Brunson went on a four-match winning streak, beating Elias Theodorou, Ian Heinisch, Edmen Shabazyan, and lastly Kevin Holland in March this year.
This is the best run of his entire career, during which Brunson collected 22 triumphs and seven defeats. The defeats were against Adesanya, Jacare Souza, Anderson Silva, Robert Whittaker, Romero, etc. And they were mostly via KO.
The reason for that, is his reckless offense because once Brunson attacks he almost always leaves his chin exposed, and that is something he never managed to improve. Other than that, he is a solid puncher, with heavy hands, maybe not that quick, but with a KO-power in his first. We need to add that his wrestling is very good, and that Brunson knows his way around the mat pretty well.
Till Back in the Mix, Maybe too Soon?
Darren Till was one of the finest prospects in the UFC, but his constant struggle with injuries and weight cut have slowed down his career. He was a welterweight title challenger against Tyron Woodley, losing that match via submission, and after that lost another match in that division to Jorge Masvidal.
Since then, Till returned to the middleweight division, stating that he loses too much of his energy and power on cutting weight. For some, that was the main factor why he sustained that many injuries, with his body constantly going through one hell of stress to reach the weight limit.
Till defeated Gastelum with a split decision in his middleweight return, but after that, lost to Robert Whittaker, being outclassed in their matchup on July 26, 2020. The Gorilla is one of the most refined strikers in the UFC, who can smash pretty much ay defense.
Prediction
If, but that is only if, Brunson overexposes himself early on, Till will be in the position to create an advantage on the scorecards, which would allow him to lay back and wait for more mistakes of his rival. Brunson’s chance to win here is solely on the ground. If he can take down Till and drag him into a wrestling fight, that would be a jackpot for the veteran.
Still, we believe that Till has more chances to post a victory. Brunson’s discipline is the reason for that, and the sole reason why we pick the Englishman to win.
Pick: Till wins
