ABU DHABI – Darren Till’s pledge to place a winning bid and become Mike Perry’s cornerman may have raised a laugh on social media, but the presence of the Englishman in Perry’s corner may not be the worst thing for “Platinum,” according to Dan Hardy.
The former welterweight title challenger and UFC analyst chatted to the media, including MMA Junkie, ahead of UFC on ESPN+ 37 on Yas Island, and explained that Till winning a spot in Perry’s corner would give the livewire UFC welterweight the benefit of a knowledgable voice between rounds.
Perry’s last fight saw him claim a unanimous decision win over Mickey Gall in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 12 in a fight that saw him compete with only one cornerperson, his girlfriend Latory Gonzalez.
Ahead of his upcoming fight with former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler at UFC 255 on Nov. 21, Perry (14-6 MMA, 7-6 UFC) has stated that he’ll put a second spot in his corner up for grabs for the highest bidder, prompting Till to respond on social media with his pledge to be the winner.
Speaking about Perry’s unusual move of putting a cornerman spot up for auction, Hardy said, “If he wants to do it, he can do it. My concern is he could have a random fan and his missus, and no legitimate, educated voice in the corner. I’d probably still prefer that than Diego Sanchez’s corner, but that’s another story altogether!”
Hardy said the need for a full team of coaches in your corner isn’t a crucial one, but stated that having one experienced, trusted voice on tap between rounds can be crucial to a fighter’s success or failure on fight night.
“One good cornerperson could make a massive, massive difference,” he explained. “My concern for Mike is that he’s not going to have anybody. I was happy to see Stephan Bonnar in the corner of Sanchez, but you need a voice of reason and logic in the corner, and you also need someone you can trust. … Faith in a corner team’s a big thing.”
As for the prospect of Till actually cornering Perry at UFC 255, Hardy said it might actually be to Perry’s advantage, as opposed to having a random member of the public manning the ice and bucket during the fight.
“The truth is, knowing Darren Till as a fighter, when he gets in that corner, for all the hot air and nonsense that he talks, when he gets in that fight with Mike Perry, he’ll corner him like a good cornerman,” he suggested. “He will, because it’s his instinct. I would. I could corner anybody. It doesn’t matter whether I like them or not. If I feel like I could help them win that fight, I will tell them, because that’s my job as a cornerman. Darren Till’s old-school, I know he’ll do that. If he’s in that corner, he’ll give Mike Perry good advice.”