Darren Till has been impressed with how quickly fellow scouser Paddy Pimblett has made an impact in the UFC.
The Gorilla was Liverpool’s first fighter to really make a splash in the UFC and he even convinced the promotion to hold an event on Merseyside in 2018.
Four years later, poor form and multiple injuries have derailed Till’s MMA career which he hopes to get back on track when he faces South African brawler Dricus du Plessis at UFC 282 this weekend.
However, ahead of his first fight in 15 months, Till is no longer the most popular Liverpudlian on the UFC roster as The Baddy has had a breakout year in 2022.
Pimblett signed for the UFC in 2021 and picked up a debut knockout victory on the same night until Till collapsed in a third-round loss to Derek Brunson.
Since then, the 27-year-old has scored back-to-back wins in massive shows at London’s O2 Arena and earned himself a legion of new fans.
After Jiri Prochazka pulled out of UFC 282 due to injury, Pimblett’s bout with 11-fight UFC veteran Jared Gordon was elevated to a co-main event despite the fact that it features two unranked lightweights.
This is only due to the hype surrounding Pimblett who has done a great job marketing since joining the UFC, according to Till.
“I think when it comes to publicity he does it perfectly, he does it very well, he does what I did a few years ago,” Till told talkSPORT.
“I loosened my foot a bit because I just want to focus on just one thing right now. Everything he does is perfect, he wins his fights, talks and walks.”
Pimblett quickly gained a reputation as someone who puts on too much weight between fights after admitting he walks about 50 pounds over the lightweight limit due to his love of junk food.
However, after meeting Pimblett during fight week, the middleweight contender thinks concerns about his fluctuating weight are overblown.
“I think he fought a bit hard on Saturday, but he looks in good shape. I saw him the other day and he was very skinny,” Till added.
“Not even skinny, but he looks neat and doesn’t look like he’s lost a lot of weight fast because everyone thinks he did because he was fat a while ago. some months.”
Ultimately, Till couldn’t be happier to see one of his own quickly making a name for himself and, more importantly, making some money through the UFC.
” I’m happy for him. I’m just happy to see people succeeding and making money,” he concluded.
“It’s a good thing, we shouldn’t hate things like that. It’s good, so I’m just happy with all his success.
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