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Earlier this week, Robert Whittaker admitted that his withdrawal from a planned fight against Jared Cannonier at UFC 248 was not due to a health issue but to feeling “completely burnt out.” Well, being the gentleman that he is, Darren Till is willing to help ease Bobby Knuckles back into the fight game.
Whittaker and Till were scheduled to face each other on August 15 for the UFC’s return to Dublin. However, the coronavirus outbreak has put that plan in jeopardy. As a result, Till has been passing the time by being highly active on social media, picking fights with people, talking trash, and intermittently posting “Rob?” And speaking with ESPN yesterday, the former UFC middleweight champ says he loves it.
“I think it’s great. Honestly, I think me and Darren could be mates because he seems like my sort of cat,” Whittaker said. “I’m stoked. I think he’s a cool guy and I’m stoked to fight him. He’s one of the guys I can’t wait to punch on because I feel like, honestly, I feel like between me and him, punching on him will make us tighter, we’ll become better friends afterwards. That’s just the sort of guy I feel like he is and I think he gets it too. Then afterwards we’ll hit the beers, hopefully not too many, and see what happens.”
Whether the fight will actually come to pass though is still up in the air, and Whittaker admits that with things as chaotic as they are right now due to COVID-19, it’s made training for a fight extremely difficult. However, he offered a plan to make things a little easier: they just don’t train.
“I really want to come to some sort of agreement with Darren, because I feel like he gets it, that we just don’t train at all,” Whittaker said. “We just don’t train. We do like a catchweight at ‘95 and we just rock up. I love that and I’m sure he would too. We’re just dipping chips up until August and just get in there and light it up.”
Whittaker certainly knows his man because shortly after his interview, Till hopped back on social media and couldn’t agree to Whittaker’s terms fast enough, even suggesting they don’t wait to get the party started until after the fight, but do so on fight week as well.
Now that we aren’t cutting weight rob? @robwhittakermma
— Darren Till (@darrentill2) April 29, 2020
Shall we just use the fight week time to our advantage, drink ? Dip ? And game ?
Might aswell...
Not long afterwards, Whittaker also hopped on Instagram, responding to Till and asking to seal this agreement in writing, to which Till quickly made an ersatz contract in a comment.
“I Darren Till, agree to a catchweight of 95-100kg for august 15th fight night dublin, and agree that after the fight we go chippn, dippn and drinking in Dublin... signed Darren Till,” Till commented.
Such is the way fights are booked in the time of coronavirus. Of course, there is one last hurdle to keeping this fight alive and that is location. At this point, it seems extremely unlikely that Dublin will play host to a UFC event in August, meaning that for the two international fighters, “Fight Island” will need to be the home for their catchweight scrap. Whittaker, at least, is cool with that.
“Hell yes (I would fight on Fight Island),” Whittaker said. “I wouldn’t come home. I’d take my family there and we’d live there and ride this one out.”
Your move, Darren Till.
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Still mad. Mark Hunt scoffs at ‘Fight Island’: ‘Who gives a f*ck?’.
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VIDEO STEW
The A-Side Live Chat with Roxanne Modafferi.
Y’all remember how petty B.J. was?
Free fight.
LISTEN UP
UFC Unfiltered. Interviews with Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Paul Felder.
SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE
Beef.
Your like a groupie trying to get back stage with these call outs. the facts are you ain’t getting a title shot anytime soon, the facts are your easy work for me ,the facts are you say no to every fight, the facts are you have made yourself look a fool this past month. be patient
— Leon 'Rocky' Edwards (@Leon_edwardsmma) April 29, 2020
Shit your bitch ass up Fact is people know you for getting worked (3Pieced) and not your work. Don't make me pull video when you were all on my nuts https://t.co/pa19PEYkkp
— Tyron T-Wood Woodley (@TWooodley) April 29, 2020
Your like a groupie trying to get back stage with these call outs. the facts are you ain’t getting a title shot anytime soon, the facts are your easy work for me ,the facts are you say no to every fight, the facts are you have made yourself look a fool this past month. be patient
— Leon 'Rocky' Edwards (@Leon_edwardsmma) April 29, 2020
Since you are @GamebredFighter 's bitch let me hit him and see if it's even cool I respond. Groupie ass on here begging like a hoe to fight me. https://t.co/pa19PEYkkp
— Tyron T-Wood Woodley (@TWooodley) April 29, 2020
you literally just did it again bringing up another mans name. Dont steal my groupie line.. your meant to be the one with the bars.. Your my bitch old man. Take some time off because social media has not been good for you this past month. Save your Ls for when we fight
— Leon 'Rocky' Edwards (@Leon_edwardsmma) April 29, 2020
Ok Im going to bed these so called top ranked fighters make me laugh. things will be different when im champion. take care everyone
— Leon 'Rocky' Edwards (@Leon_edwardsmma) April 29, 2020
Man, I miss Chael’s ridiculousness.
Here's the golden rule. The one with the gold rules. pic.twitter.com/ntnrVu0yY3
— Chael Sonnen (@ChaelSonnen) April 29, 2020
Odd.
Song yadong pull out what a pussy! @UrijahFaber jump in
— Chito Vera (@chitoveraUFC) April 30, 2020
Sage knows that once you find a style, you stick with it forever.
Was my brother back then.. is now my true brother.. happy birthday big brother @rd_goat pic.twitter.com/Ch1Sxd2CLO
— Sage Northcutt (@sagenorthcutt) April 30, 2020
Quarantine affecting people.
We regret to announce that we have lost control of the Cage Warriors roster. pic.twitter.com/Yh7119B7VG
— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) April 29, 2020
Quality post.
With less human pollution alligators are returning to the octagon... nature is healing itself pic.twitter.com/6o0UPYw5vO
— The Strangle Squad (@_StrangleSquad) April 29, 2020
This one as well.
Did it work? pic.twitter.com/xAPzjEdNai
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 29, 2020
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Ray Borg (13-4) vs. Ricky Simon (15-3); UFC Fight Night, May 13.
Alexander Hernandez (11-2) vs. Drew Dober (22-9); UFC Fight Night, May 13.
Michael Johnson (19-15) vs. Thiago Moises (12-3); UFC Fight Night, May 13.
Edson Barboza (20-8) vs. Dan Ige (13-2); UFC Fight Night, May 16.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Thanks for reading and see y’all tomorrow.
EXIT POLL
Poll
Robert Whittaker vs. Darren Till, no training catchweight fight on Fight Island, who wins?
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