Michael Bisping advises UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev to focus on his division.
Makhachev expressed his desire to move up to welterweight to challenge Leon Edwards on multiple occasions, and almost got the opportunity when he was one of three names offered to Edwards at UFC 300.
Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) declined because he didn’t want to train while observing Ramadan, but still has his sights set on Edwards (22-3 MMA, 14-2 UFC).
“He wants a shot to become the two-weight division champion just like he offered Volkanovski,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “But be careful what you wish for because Leon Edwards, right – Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards is an absolute sniper in there. And look at what he just did to Colby Covington.
“Now apparently Colby Covington says that he broke his foot in the first round. And he also said that the judges, well, they were Democrats, and because of his love for Donald Trump, that’s why they didn’t give him the decision. The reality was it wasn’t a close fight.”
Makhachev defends his title against Dustin Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) in the UFC 302 main event June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Bisping thinks if Makhachev gets past Poirier, he has multiple challengers awaiting him at 155 pounds.
“Leon Edwards is not a wrestler, but he’s a black belt in defending takedowns and stopping takedowns against the fence,” Bisping said. “That first round against Kamaru Usman, in that second one when he knocked him out: ‘Head shot, dead.’
“Remember: nice little foot trip, got the mount, took the back, got the body triangle, was looking for the rear-naked choke. … (Makhachev) wants a chance to be great, OK? And Islam, he’s probably just getting headlines because he knows damn well there’s a lot of opposition out there.”
