Michael Bisping is familiar with both Luke Rockhold and Darren Till, and he sees one man having a crucial edge on fight night.
Misfits Boxing 22 takes place Saturday at the AO Arena in Manchester, as the crossover promotion stages another event featuring UFC legends, influencers, and social media stars.
This time around, the promotion’s card will feature plenty to interest MMA fans, as two former champions and one of the sport’s most controversial figures return to action.
After Tony Ferguson’s first fight since leaving the UFC, which comes against TikTok star Salt Papi, former UFC middleweight king Rockhold will debut in pro boxing against Till. The Scouser has the experience edge in the ring, having already reeled off two wins under the Misfits banner.
But according to Bisping, that won’t be the key advantage that paves Till’s way to victory.
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Michael Bisping worried for Luke Rockhold against younger Darren Till
Given his history with both men, Bisping is well placed to assess Saturday’s headliner. While ‘The Count’ is a longtime friend of his fellow countryman, he fought Till’s opponent twice inside the UFC Octagon.
Bisping memorably knocked out Rockhold at UFC 199, emerging victorious from their short-notice, heated rematch with the middleweight gold in his possession.
Speaking to Bloody Elbow about his new movie Atlas King, Bisping looked ahead to the clash between his compatriot and the man at the expense of whom he was crowned UFC champion in 2016. Despite his history with Rockhold, ‘The Count’ insisted that his prediction for Saturday’s main event is not born from any ongoing animosity he holds toward the 40-year-old.
“It’s been quite the entertaining circus this week,” Bisping said of Rockhold vs Till. “I wish both guys the best.
“Darren’s obviously a mate of mine…I’ve gotta back Darren on this one. But I have no grudges against Luke Rockhold. We share a similar coach in Jason Parillo now. I’ve been in his presence; I was down the gym not long ago. We went and got coffee.
“There’s no grudges there,” Bisping added. “That was all a very, very long time ago — almost a decade ago.”
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And that lengthy timeframe between Rockhold’s prime years and his upcoming pro boxing debut is exactly what is concerning Bisping when it comes to his ex-rival’s chances of success.
“That’s the troubling thing when you look at this fight. He was the champion almost a decade ago, and this is a young man’s game,” Bisping said.
“Darren Till is 32. Darren Till’s an incredible striker; he’s got speed and power in the hands.
“Luke Rockhold’s a better kicker, Luke Rockhold’s a better grappler, Luke Rockhold’s got an incredible top game, but all of those strengths are taken away in a boxing match,” Bisping continued.
“So I favor Darren Till. I think Darren Till might get the job done here.”
Luke Rockhold has been scrapping with someone other than Darren Till during fight week
While Rockhold will need to have his focus on the hands of Till come fight night in Manchester, his attention has partly been on a different name on the August 30 card.
The former UFC and Strikeforce champion also went back and forth with Dillon Danis during a heated Misfits Boxing 22 press conference that got violent quickly.
And following that fiery exchange, news emerged Friday of a backstage brawl between Rockhold and Danis. The American posted an image of a cut he sustained on his back during the melee.
The controversial grappler, meanwhile, spoke about the incident while on stage at the weigh-ins. Danis claimed to have knocked out Rockhold, something he aims to repeat in his MMA bout against Warren Spencer at Misfits Boxing 22.