Michael Bisping doesn’t see the UFC pushing Islam Makhachev to vacate his lightweight championship with a move up to welterweight.
Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) has wanted a chance at a second UFC title for a while, but with friend Belal Muhammad the current champ at 170 pounds, he’s put his plan on hold. Ilia Topuria relinquished his featherweight title in anticipation of a move up to lightweight, but Bisping doesn’t see the same happening to Makhachev.
“Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev, that should be the fight,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “If that doesn’t happen, if Islam sticks to his guns, if he was to say, ‘No, I’m not doing that, I refuse, OK, and if anything, I want to fight the winner of Jack Della Maddalena vs. Belal Muhammad.’ If he was to do that because he is such a great champion, because he has taken short-notice fights, because he’s the most successful lightweight on planet Earth in the history of the sport, there ain’t going to be any crazy talks of stripping Islam Makhachev. That just isn’t going to happen.”
Makhachev is hesitant to defend his title against Topuria next to avoid facing another former featherweight. His mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, thinks Makhachev could go after the welterweight title if Belal Muhammad were to fall short against Jack Della Maddalena in the UFC 315 headliner on May 10 in Montreal.
“If Maddalena were the champion, Islam would’ve already fought him,” Nurmagomedov said in a recent interview with Adam Zubayraev. “But as I understand it, the UFC is waiting for the May event where Belal and Maddlena will fight. Personally, I want Belal to win. I sincerely hope he does. But if Maddalena wins, I think the UFC could offer Islam a fight with Maddalena at 170.”
