Michael Bisping predicts that Darren Till will overcome his poor recent run of form to become a UFC champion when he returns to action.
The Scouse fighter has lost four of his last five, including stoppage defeats to Tyron Woodley, Jorge Masvidal and Derek Brunson, as well as a decision loss to Robert Whittaker. He is in an awkward position due to his size, with his former weight class at 170lb too low, while he's just the slightest bit small for the competitors at 185lb.
But Bisping believes he can overcome the odds and his recent bad fortune in order to get his hands on the UK's next world title in the organisation. The Machester native was Britain's only UFC champion until this month when Leon Edwards dethroned Kamaru Usman for the welterweight title, and believes that there will be more titles coming home to the UK soon.
“Make no mistake, mark my words, Darren Till will be champion one day," Bisping said in a video on his YouTube channel discussing Edwards' title victory and the future of UK MMA. "You’re laughing at me because he’s 1-3 in his last four - Darren Till will be champion one day. His striking is phenomenal. His mind is strong. He’s just had a bit of a bad run. And again, 29 years old. He’ll be champ."
Bisping also reckons that Tom Aspinall, the giant Mancunian heavyweight, will get a world title run once he returns from the freak injury that cost him his fight with Curtis Blaydes. And he insists that he doesn't hold any bitterness over Edwards winning, which means he is now no longer the only British champion in the UFC.
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“People seem to think I’m salty that Leon (Edwards) won,” Bisping had said earlier in the video. “I am over the goddamn moon for Leon, and I support every fighter from the UK. Of course I wasn’t going to be the first and only one. We’re going to have a slew of champions coming from the UK.
"Tom Aspinall, as we know, sadly really hurt his leg. But Tom will be champion. He will be back. He’s going to rehab, he’s going to have the surgery, he’s going to be coming back six months, nine months, maybe a year. But he’s only 29 years old and he will be champion of the heavyweight division – make no mistake. Mark my words.”
Edwards's title win was the first since Bisping's famous 2016 victory over Luke Rockhold at UFC 199. The Birmingham native was a similarly massive underdog heading into the UFC 278 clash in Salt Lake City on August 20, perhaps even more so given Usman hadn't lost under the UFC banner.
