Derek Brunson is a surprising underdog for his fight against Darren Till this weekend. He boasts a four-fight win streak and a higher ranking than Till at middleweight, yet oddsmakers have Till as the betting favorite. Derek Brunson is unfazed by the Darren Till hype machine, and promises to deliver an unquestionable performance.
Brunson told MMAFighting.com that he will leave no doubt when the two enter the Octagon. “I know what’s in front of me. I know where Darren Till’s good. He’s a game opponent. Pretty much go back to that wrestling thing — I’ve got to break him. That’s just it.”
Derek Brunson Promises to “Break” Darren Till
On the matter of Darren Till’s significant profile, Brunson believes that Till earned his profile more than many other fighters. Darren Till is a charismatic character with a decent record, which is more than can be said for some of the UFC’s other fighters, like Sean O’Malley.
“There’s a lot of guys [like that]. I would say he earned it more than O’Malley or something like that. I think what 18-4, former title challenger, a win over Stephen Thompson, he had another quality win, too. He has some quality wins.
He put himself in a great spot. He’s from the U.K. with a big following, that helps also. He’s just a guy that has a lot of buzz around him. His personality, a solid fighter.”
Till is particularly popular in his native England. Born and raised in Liverpool, Darren Till enjoys significant popularity in his home country. Has this weekend’s fight taken place in London as planned, Till would no doubt have appreciated a significant home ground advantage. Derek Brunson, too, is disappointed not to be fighting in London.
“I was warming to it. I was embracing it. I was a little disappointed when I found out it wasn’t going to be in London because through this MMA stuff, I’ve traveled all over the world. I’ve fought in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, was supposed to fight in Germany.
So yeah, I haven’t fought in the U.K., so I was kind of looking forward to it. Then when I didn’t get to play the spoiler role, I was a little upset but it is what it is.” As for his plan going into the fight, Brunson has total faith in his own grappling game.
“He’s a little crafty on the ground, but yeah definitely, when it comes to the grappling I’m a black belt in [Brazilian jiu-jitsu] and an All-American wrestler. I like my chances on the ground. I think I do a lot of damage and mass work on the ground.”
Do you expect Derek Brunson to deliver on this promise and destroy Till on the ground? Let us know in the comments.
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