Derek Brunson Submits Darren Till, Calls For a Title Shot

Derek Brunson proved his quality once again, defeating Darren Till in the headline of the UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas.

The veteran submitted Till at 2:13 of the third round, dominating pretty much during the entire contest and showing superb wrestling skills. His victory came via rear-naked choke, and Till had no chances of escaping the same.

Brunson’s dominance is obvious when looking at the statistics. He had 101 total strikes, compared to just 28 Till threw. Thirty-seven of those ended on Till’s head, while Brunson received 14. Also, he was in control for 7 minutes and 23 seconds, while Till happened to dictate the match for four seconds.

That's 5️⃣ in a row for Derek Brunson 😤 #UFCVegas36 pic.twitter.com/uUOVa5ZGeU

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 4, 2021

The American’s wrestling skills came in handy in this one, and he scored three takedowns, one in each round, inflicting a lot of pain upon his opponent in such situations. Even though Till opened the match better, after the first takedown, Brunson seized the control. His ground and pound punches cracked Till’s defense, and it was obvious already then that the 37-year old will be in charge here.

Till had one brief moment once he shined, in the third round, when a one-two combo dazzled Brunson, but for a short time. Immediately after that, he responded, bringing an end to this match.

This is the fifth straight win for Brunson, who happened to be an underdog in each one of these contests. It all started against Elias Theodorou, then continued against Ian Heinisch, Edmen Shabazyan, and Kevin Holland. This is the best stretch of his life, and Brunson rightfully expects to see a title shot in the near future.

“I’m tired of these guys not mentioning my name,” Brunson said. “Izzy, look at the camera, mention my name. I heard you mentioning Till and Cannonier. Yeah, I’ve been busting my butt for four years after my loss to get to this point. So yeah, I’m ready to contend.”

Brunson also said that he doesn’t mind waiting for his turn after Adesanya and Whittaker meet and finish their business. The American already faced Adesanya four years ago, losing via KO in the first round. Overall, he met with all the notable names in the middleweight division, Romero, Whittaker, Silva, Souza, Adesanya, though losing against all of them.

The grappling from Brunson is an issue through round 2️⃣. #UFCVegas36 pic.twitter.com/EEwXgtPnRv

— UFC (@ufc) September 4, 2021

Currently, besides Brunson, who is a worthy contender for the next title match, the only name that could come before him is Jared Cannonier. Still, the Killa Gorilla lost to Whittaker recently, while Brunson has a superb winning streak.

As for Till, this is the fourth loss for the Englishman in the past five matches. It all started with him being in the welterweight division, and a championship match with Tyron Woodley. After that, Till lost to Jorge Masvidal, switching the division afterward.

The start in the middleweight was solid, as he picked up a split decision victory over Kelvin Gastelum, but quickly after that, Till lost to Whittaker and now to Brunson.

The Gorilla, as the fans, call him was one of the biggest prospects in the UFC, but injuries slowed down his career. At this point, he needs to consider what to do in the future; otherwise, once a very promising career could simply disappear.

Up next, the fans are preparing for the UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Spann, which kicks off next Saturday at the UFC Apex facility.