"He's fumbled the bag a few times" - Israel Adesanya not counting Darren Till out, compares him to Michael Bisping
Israel Adesanya believes Darren Till could have a career resurgence much like Michael Bisping.
Despite being on the cusp of contention several times, Bisping didn't receive a title shot in the UFC for a decade. After getting an opportunity to step in for the injured Chris Weidman at UFC 199, Bisping knocked out Luke Rockhold and won the middleweight championship.
During an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, Israel Adesanya was asked if he had any plans of fighting in the UK. 'The Last Stylebender' stated that it all depended on Darren Till, who has lost two of his last three fights at 185 lb.
However, Adesanya feels that 'The Gorilla' is still young and can bounce back, much like Bisping:
"I've tried to set it up so many times but your boy Darren Till hasn't really stepped up. He's fumbled the bag a few times, but I feel like it's not done. He's young... His stories reminded me of Bisping in a way. Michael Bisping was a guy who people counted out... You don't count out 'The Count'. I counted him out. I never thought he would be champion but look at what happened... I feel Till is on the same path."
Watch Adesanya's interview with Sky Sports below:
Israel Adesanya wants to put on a show against Jared Cannonier
After his impressive win over Derek Brunson at UFC 271, Jared Cannonier could be next in line for a crack at Israel Adesanya. The middleweight champion is currently looking to return to action in June.
Several analysts feel that Adesanya has been playing it 'safe' in his last couple of outings. During the same interview, 'The Last Stylebender' stated that he's eager to put on an impressive showing against Cannonier:
“I’m gonna bring a different energy to this fight that people haven’t seen from me in a long time, and that’s going off of my fight a week ago... It’s gonna be reminiscent of something some of the greats have done in the past... I wanna put on a bit of a show. I like when people start to doubt me, it rubs off on me. That chip on my shoulder, I like having that. I really wanna make an example.”
With his win over Robert Whittaker at UFC 271, Israel Adesanya has defended the 185 lb title four times and is behind only Anderson Silva, who had 10 defenses. The City Kickboxing product has stated that he's eager to add the light heavyweight title to his collection to cement his legacy.