Michael Bisping breaks down what could be next for the UFC 280 main event fighters.
The day after a big UFC event is always filled with breakdowns and reactions from the fight world. With UFC 280 being such a huge event with many things to discuss, it is no surprise that one of the most outspoken men in the UFC analyst game has something to say. Michael Bisping took to his YouTube channel to share with thoughts on all things UFC 280. He took a deep dive into the main event and spoke about what he believes could be next for both men.
Michael Bisping names three possible opponents for Charles Oliveira
Charles Oliveira was coming into the UFC 280 main event on a mission to regain his lost title. Unfortunately for him, the fight did not go his way and Islam Makhachev is now the champion of the lightweight division. Now following the event, the future seems unclear for Oliveira. Bisping has a few ideas of who could be next for the former champion.
“For Charles Oliveira’s next opponent, I don’t know, maybe a Poirier, maybe a Gaethje, maybe a Chandler, one of those ones,” he said. “Because they were f–king epic, epic fights and I’m sure all three of them would love another crack to right the wrongs.”
Bisping is looking for Oliveira to run a fight back with a few men he defeated on his way to the top. The three men he chose were the three last men Oliveira faced before Makhachev. Another opinion that a fan threw Bisping’s way was Conor McGregor. Although he was interested in the idea, there is a snag. McGregor has been out of competition for some time now and it was just revealed that he has withdrawn from the U.S Anti-Doping Agency testing pool. Bisping spoke about this as a reason a fight between him and Oliveira will not happen. McGregor must reenroll in the USADA testing pool and undergo six months of testing before he is able to return to the Octagon.
Michael Bisping doubts Islam Makhachev will ever be a double champ
What about the other half of the UFC 280 main event? Bisping weighed in on Islam Makhachev as well. He is the newly crowned champion and already has his next opponent all set up. Prior to the event, UFC president Dana White laid out plans to have featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski face the winner of the lightweight title fight. With Makhachev being victorious on Saturday he will now be the one to take on the pound-for-pound king. This bout will allow Volkanovski to become a duel champion with a win but not Makhachev. It is partially because of this that Bisping feels he will never be a double champion.
“Islam, double champ? I don’t think so,” he said. “Not because he hasn’t got the ability. Here’s why, because Volkanovski is going to move up to 155 and he’s going to challenge Islam. So Volkanovski has the ability to become a double champ. If Islam beats him, well, they’re not going to run that back straight away at another weight class and Islam would have to go down to 145 and I can’t see making 145. He’s big for 155.”
Makhachev could still have something to gain from his fight with Volkanovski, he could beat the number one pound-for-pound champ and in turn, may take his spot on the rankings. It seems like a win-win situation for both men and will no doubt be one of the biggest fights of next year. Although that bout is not on the schedule just yet, a good landing place could be the upcoming event to be held in Perth, Australia in February.
