Michael Bisping believes the UFC is heading towards a blockbuster clash between lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and featherweight sensation Ilia Topuria. Despite Makhachev’s initial reluctance to face another featherweight, Bisping argues that the sheer magnitude of the matchup will ultimately prevail.

While the lightweight division is brimming with contenders like Justin Gaethje, Arman Tsarukyan, and Charles Oliveira, Bisping suggests that the UFC will prioritize the fight that offers the greatest potential for commercial success. “Realistically, there’s a ton of options for Ilia Topuria, but the reality is, Islam Makhachev has got to fight somebody soon, and so does Ilia Topuria,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel.

He also addressed Justin Gaethje’s recent callout. “Justin Gaethje wants to fight for the belt, but Justin Gaethje really doesn’t give a sh*t right now. I think Justin Gaethje is happy making the phenomenal amount of money that he is and just going out there and being able to be himself.”

Bisping believes that while any of the mentioned contenders would provide compelling matchups, they also pose a risk to the potential Makhachev-Topuria super fight. “So realistically, any of those guys that I just mentioned: Islam, Arman, Charles, Justin, any single one of them. And it might be one of them. But it’s probably going to be, if you asked me to bet, I think Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria. Any of those guys – Arman, Charles, Justin – sure, they’d all be phenomenal fights and they’d all have a realistic chance of potentially beating Ilia Topuria.“

The Business of Big Fights

Bisping emphasized the importance of capitalizing on Topuria’s current momentum. “Granted, Ilia is special, but if he lost to them, there’s a massive market opportunity lost there, because Ilia vs. Islam – Ilia with the rise, Ilia still being in a lot of people’s minds the featherweight champion against the lightweight champion – there’s something there,” Bisping said. “If he loses to Gaethje, but then two or three fights later gets a shot, it’s not quite the same sell. The public wouldn’t be quite still as invested. So I think they’re going to give him the title fight. I think Islam is going to take it. Granted, he wants a shot at becoming a two-weight champion, but he’s going to have to wait for a while because of Belal (Muhammad). So in the meantime, you take out Ilia Topuria, which would be an absolutely blockbuster fight.”

He argues that the UFC would be wise to strike while the iron is hot, maximizing the hype surrounding Topuria’s rise. A loss to another contender could diminish the appeal of a future clash with Makhachev. Ultimately, Bisping believes that the allure of a champion vs. champion super fight will be too strong to resist, leading to a highly anticipated showdown between Makhachev and Topuria.