MICHAEL BISPING insists that Darren Till follows his lead and gets his hands on UFC Gold.
Three years ago, the pride of Liverpool lost his title fight at UFC 228, losing in the second round to Tyron Woodley, then welterweight champion.
Darren Till is just a few steps away from earning a second chance at UFC gold
After losses to Jorge Masvidal, Robert Whittaker and Till, Till's title credentials are being questioned. These were either side of Till's masterclass over Kelvin Gastelum during his November 2019 debut at middleweight.
Bisping is confident that the Merseyside Muay Thai expert has the skills to be the UK's second UFC champion.
SunSport was informed by The Count that he believes Darren Till will be champion one day. He's been there for a while.
He's only 27. He's going to continue learning, growing and gaining experience.
"The physicality is there. He may have some things up there [points to his ears], but he is a Muay Thailand specialist and may need to do a bit more boxing footwork.
"But, he's still right there. He came so close to beating Robert Whittaker. He would have fought for the belt if he had defeated him.
"So, anyway, I'm saying that he's 27. He is still on his way. It took me until I was 38. There's plenty of time.
Till, 28, is just a few steps away from securing a spot at the middleweight gold medal - even though he lost to Whittaker, the former champion.
The Scouser will be making a statement by defeating Derek Brunson, a divisional stalwart, tomorrow night in UFC Vegas 36. This will give him a chance to claim a title shot.
Bisping has recognized the importance of a win over Brunson and said that it was a must-win fight for Darren Till.
Brunson's striking skills have improved tremendously since his UFC debut nine-years ago, but Till's clash with Brunson is still a classic grappler vs striker match-up.
Till, Team Kaobon's standout, has displayed outstanding takedown defense during his time in mixed martial art's premier promotion. He defended 82 percent of his opponents' attempts at grounding the fight.
If he can maintain his impressive performance against Brunson, Bisping thinks a clash with Israel Adesanya, the middleweight champion, could be in the cards for the Liverpudlian.
He stated: "Darren Till must go out there, he has to defend the takedowns, and get to work with his striking.
"And I believe he will succeed. Although I don't make any predictions, Darren is a good opponent.
"He is hard to get down and jumps up fast if he gets down.
"However, Derek Brunson's life is not easy for everyone.
He's probably on a five-fight, or four-fight win streak. He's got good wrestling and heavy hands.
Derek Brunson was an over-aggressive boxer in the past.
He would stand up and show his chin. That has been corrected a bit.
"It's a hard fight for both men. Derek must win the fight. Darren must keep his feet on the ground in order to win.
"If Darren keeps his feet on the ground, he will win. He is a far better striker. Derek can get the takedown.
"And with the threat to the takedown that could make him more successful with his hands.
"So, I'm saying, it's a must win for both men. But Darren must win if he wants the title.
"And it's there for Darren Till. It really is if he win.
"Adesanya would love to fight him and I believe that it will be a great match up.
"The excitement and build up to the fight will be amazing. He has to win. He has to beat Derek Brunson."
