Darren Till calls out Daniel Cormier over his Usman Nurmagomedov defense (Image via Getty) Darren Till has taken aim at Daniel Cormier after the former UFC champion defended Usman Nurmagomedov’s actions at UFC Shanghai. The incident happened moments after Song Yadong knocked out Umar Nurmagomedov in the main event. Usman entered the Octagon as his brother was still down, creating a tense scene. While Cormier focused on the emotion behind the reaction, Till believes the move crossed a clear line.
Darren Till questions Daniel Cormier’s support for Usman Nurmagomedov
Song Yadong’s victory over Umar Nurmagomedov was already one of the biggest surprises of UFC Shanghai. The Chinese fighter entered the bout as the underdog and produced a statement finish against a highly rated opponent.The attention quickly shifted after the knockout, however.Usman Nurmagomedov jumped over the Octagon fence and moved toward Yadong. The situation stopped short of becoming a full fight, but the moment could easily have become more dangerous with emotions running high.Till believes the focus should remain on Yadong and what the victory meant for him.The former UFC fighter also questioned Cormier’s decision to defend Usman rather than criticize the decision to enter the cage.“Why is DC always on the defensive of the Nurmagomedovs?” Till wrote on X.Till then took aim at Cormier’s role within the UFC and argued that the commentator should have been more critical of what happened.“You as a company man should he shouldn’t have stormed the octagon like that,” Till said.His post became increasingly personal as he continued criticizing Cormier, even while acknowledging the former champion’s achievements inside the cage.“As much as I think you are one of the best fighters ever in the UFC,” Till wrote, “the way you are as a company man and the views are f**ing sht.”The harsh wording is typical of Till, who has never been shy about expressing strong opinions online. But underneath the insults is a bigger disagreement about where the line should be drawn when fighters react emotionally after a difficult loss.
Daniel Cormier believes Usman was reacting to his brother’s knockout
Cormier’s position was not that Usman was allowed to enter the Octagon. Instead, he argued that the circumstances explained why Usman reacted so quickly.“He did not elbow him. Let’s stop making conspiracy theories out there people, he did not elbow him and he did not attack Song Yadong,” Cormier said.According to Cormier, Usman’s primary goal was to reach Umar after seeing his brother knocked unconscious.“What he did was try to get to his brother,” Cormier explained.Cormier still acknowledged that entering the cage was against the rules. However, he felt the emotional circumstances deserved some understanding.“Now, that in itself is not allowed. We are not allowed to do that,” Cormier said.That point creates the heart of the disagreement between the two former UFC fighters. Cormier separated the rule violation from Usman’s intentions, while Till appeared more concerned with the potential consequences of the decision.Cormier also has a long connection with the Nurmagomedov camp through his time at American Kickboxing Academy. That relationship has previously led some fans to question whether his commentary is always completely neutral when discussing fighters from the team.Till’s latest criticism adds fuel to that conversation.The incident itself ended without serious injury, which is the most important outcome. Still, Yadong had just secured a major win, and the sudden arrival of another fighter inside the cage created an unnecessary risk.For Cormier, it was an emotional brother trying to reach family after a frightening moment. For Till, the emotion does not excuse crossing a boundary.That difference in perspective has turned a brief post-fight incident into one of the more talked-about moments from UFC Shanghai.