UFC is not just known for its rivalries but also for the steel-strong friendships that are forged during the sparring sessions and months of training. One notable example is the understated camaraderie between Khamzat Chimaev and former UFC fighter and current boxer Darren Till. 

Their friendship blossomed through training and sparring together when Chimaev invited him to train at Allstars Gym in Sweden to improve his wrestling skills. Even though their careers have taken different paths, they continue to support each other.

‘The Gorilla’ recently fought Darren Stewart at Misfits Boxing 21, which took place at Valliant Live in Derby, England. The bout was Till’s first since defeating Anthony Taylor at Misfits 20, and this one bore a lot of effort from “The Gorilla,” who won a unanimous decision in a surprisingly competitive fight.

After his pivotal win, he threw out names for his next fight and called out Jorge Masvidal and Mike Perry. However, after the fight, the opponents were seen being friendly together and posted pictures with each other. Till captioned the post saying, “War and peace go hand in hand, it was a pleasure @daren_mma.” Naturally, Khamzat Chimaev came into the mix and reposted the pictures in his story with a simple caption: “🥇🥇🦾.” He showed his support through a simple message of solidarity while he too gets ready for his fight against middleweight champ Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319.

Chimaev is gearing up for big fight as he previously stated while speaking to Adam Zubarayaev. ‘Borz’ said, “Let them prep for war. I’m prepping for murder.” Du Plessis, on the other hand, took this comment on a lighter note and decided to reply in a lighthearted manner. He replied to the comment on one of the Instagram posts and wrote, “Wow, that’s the first time I’ve heard that one. Shakespeare in the house”

Now that the verbal clash is on the rise, predictions about who might win between the two middleweight juggernauts are doing the rounds. So let’s see what Chimaev’s friend said about the fight.

Darren Till gives his prediction for UFC 319

‘The Gorilla’ has faced both the headliners of UFC 319. He fought against Du Plessis at UFC 282, which DDP won. The Brit cornered Chimaev at UFC 273, and is his close friend as well, and they have sparred together. Naturally, Till knows the way both of them fight and can gauge who might have the upper hand in this clash.

He spoke to Ariel Helwani and said, “With respect, I’m never gonna look past Dricus because he’s super dedicated. He’s super strong. He’s got that awkward style that doesn’t make any sense. I think Khamzat will beat him inside two rounds. I do believe that. I was speaking to Khamzat on FaceTime the other day because I was meant to be going off to Dubai to help with the camp—Khamzat knows it’s a tough fight. But, Khamzat trains like a beast.”

Chimaev does look like a beast and has never missed a beat when he returned to the cage at UFC 308 and defeated Robert Whittaker. He wiped out all allegations about his weak health and inefficient gas tank after dealing with multiple injuries and illnesses. However, ‘Stillknocks’ is not an easy opponent since the champion is a difficult puzzle to solve inside the octagon.  On that same note, who do you think will gain the upper hand in this fight? Drop your thought in the comments below!