The bromance we never knew we needed, but definitely wanted.
Darren “The Gorilla” Till and Khamzat “Borz” Chimaev have a chemistry unlike any other fighter duo in active combat sports. Though maybe uncannily similar to retired living legends Daniel Cormier and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Chimaev clearly felt sorry for his friend and wanted to bring out the best in him, and Darren too knows his weaknesses and strengths pretty well. He’s truly an amazing striker and has been practicing both his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and now is developing his wrestling.
Till has been training hard at the AllStars Gym since he arrived, with sparring videos between him and Khamzat, showing bloodied teeth and a fresh bruise across his eye. “Lad, got my a** kicked,” Till told BlockAsset, “That’s what it’s all about though innit? Getting it done.”
Allstar CEO Majdi Shammas had this to say about the camaraderie between the two on an episode of BlockAccess; “He [Till] came as a fresh air to the gym. A lot of people don’t click good with Khamzat, but they click like they have known each other for years. Maybe because they have talked so much s*** to each other on the internet, but they click and that is important. I see them connect very well.”
Khamzat too enjoys the training dynamic as much as the friendship. “Work was good, nice to work with the best guys in the world. I work on the grappling and wrestling, he learn something,” Chimaev said, “Next time we work on the striking, I learn something. It works like that, I am happy he is here.” Both the fighters have found a way to compliment each other’s capabilities and learn from the best that both have to offer.
The two have a lot of positivity for each other, Chimaev going on to say: “No, I like this guy, actually. He’s funny. A funny guy. I feel sorry for him about last fight, he lose. He lose many fights last time. I think he’s good, but has to train harder.”
The Gorilla took the advice seriously and is really bringing his best to his new training regime, often being captured by cameras completely drained out. All the while, the two fighters haven’t only been training their minds, but their extracurriculars have been training their hearts as well. The two have been engaging in charity events after hours, feeding the underprivileged together with the rest of their Allstar team.
Darren is looking to make a comeback after a streak of bad luck, with a potential fight with either Jack Hermanson or Sean Strickland. Meanwhile Khamzat has caught the scent of Gilbert Burns to prove how truly dangerous of a hunter he is. Following that, he has his sights on both Kamaru Usman and Israel Adesanya for a chance to become the next double champ.
