UFC middleweight Darren Till has explained why it’s important for him to be around someone like Khamzat Chimaev.

The last few years have been pretty turbulent for Darren Till inside the Octagon. While he’s managed to pick up wins over the likes of Stephen Thompson and Kelvin Gastelum, he’s also suffered a string of defeats that have left him with a 1-4 record in his last five fights. In the midst of that, he’s also been finished by Tyron Woodley, Jorge Masvidal and, most recently, Derek Brunson.

It was obvious for all to see that “The Gorilla” needed a change and in the last couple of weeks, he’s been seeking out that change by training with rising UFC prospect Khamzat Chimaev.

In a recent interview with ESPN, Till went into more detail about his association with “Borz” and some of the similarities they share.

https://twitter.com/mmafighting/status/1498831573684207617?s=21

“I just kinda identify so much of myself in [Khamzat Chimaev]. The way he walks around, the way he says openly ‘I’m here to make money and smash every guy’.”

“You need to be around that s*** because it’s infectious, especially to a guy like me, who believes that as well.”

Quotes via MMA Fighting

It’s going to take a lot of hard work for Till to get back to the title contender he once was, especially if he stays in a division as competitive as middleweight. Still, it’s hard not to respect the humble shift in attitude, and it’ll be interesting to see what kind of adjustments he makes in time for his next fight.

Do you think we’ll see Darren Till back in the cage before the end of the year? If so, do you expect him to stay at middleweight or drop back down to 170 pounds? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments, BJPENN Nation!