Darren Till: Sean Strickland Has the Only Shot at Stopping Khamzat Chimaev
Darren Till believes Sean Strickland has a shot at dethroning Khamzat Chimaev when the two collide at UFC 328 on May 9, though the former UFC title challenger isn’t predicting an upset.
Darren Till Says Sean Strickland Has a Chance Against Khamzat But It’s Still Long Odds
“Anyone’s beatable. Khamzat knows that himself, that’s why he trains so hard, he is not stupid. I don’t see anyone beating him, but maybe Sean has got the best chances.” Till told MMA Full Mount in his assessment of the middleweight championship matchup.
Chimaev enters UFC 328 as a -500 favorite with a spotless 15-0 record, having captured the middleweight title with a victory over Dricus du Plessis. The Swedish fighter has built his reputation through explosive finishes, averaging just over eight minutes per fight. His wrestling base has been the foundation of his success, recording a 55% takedown accuracy with 85% defense rate.
Strickland represents a different animal than Chimaev has faced recently. The American returned from suspension and injury to knock out Anthony Hernandez in February 2026, re-establishing himself as a title contender after what he called a disappointing title loss to Dricus du Plessis in early 2025.
Against Hernandez, Strickland landed 92 total strikes while maintaining perfect takedown defense, showcasing the defensive awareness that defined his 2023 title run over Israel Adesanya. At 34 years old, Strickland has averaged 15 minutes 54 seconds per fight, indicating he has the durability to go distance with Chimaev if the fight moves past the opening rounds.
The stylistic contrast gives Strickland realistic win conditions. Chimaev’s strength lies in closing distance and imposing his wrestling, while Strickland operates through volume striking and evasion. Till’s quote suggests he sees Strickland’s boxing output and cardio as potential counters to Chimaev’s grappling dominance, though the odds market remains convinced of Chimaev’s superiority.
Beyond the UFC championship picture, Till himself has shifted focus. The Liverpool native recently signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship on a multi-fight deal and will make his BKFC debut on May 30 at BKFC 90 in Birmingham, England. He’ll face Aaron Chalmers, the former MMA fighter and reality television personality, in the matchup. Till’s transition to bare-knuckle boxing continues his post-UFC journey, following his stint with Misfits Boxing where he knocked out Luke Rockhold to win the bridgerweight title in August 2025.
Till’s BKFC match arrives just three weeks after the Chimaev-Strickland headliner, keeping him connected to the combat sports conversation even as he competes in a different format at 185 pounds.
