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Michael Bisping wants to see less superfights made in the UFC this year.
Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping isn’t a fan of fighters hopping around between weight classes.
Although they weren’t much of a thing in the past, superfights have become a much more common regularity in the UFC now. Last year saw T.J. Dillashaw drop down to 125 pounds to challenge Henry Cejudo for the flyweight title, and Max Holloway moved up lightweight to challenge Dustin Poirier for the interim lightweight belt.
Talking recently on his podcast “Believe You Me”, Bisping said he would rather see champions defend their belts then moving to different weight classes.
“I’m sick of all this talk of superfights, if I’m honest,” Bisping said. “I want to see the champions defending the belts. All of this jumping around… I think last year and the year before, it all got a little silly.” (Transcription via BJ Penn.com)
Bisping thinks the UFC will be more reluctant to make superfights in 2020. With double-champs less likely to defend their belts, the promotion was forced to strip Cejudo of his flyweight title last month.
“Going forward, I feel like the UFC aren’t going to be too quick to make those superfights anymore,” Bisping said. “Cause whilst they do capture the imagination of the public, [the UFC is] just stripping Henry Cejudo of the 125 [pound belt]. It’s going to be Joseph Benavidez taking on [Deiveson] Figueiredo for the vacant flyweight title.
“That’s what they’ve got to do. The only real double-champ that’s left now is Amanda Nunes, and even her, she’s having trouble finding challenges at 145 [pounds]. I feel the only reason she hasn’t been stripped [of that belt] yet is there isn’t anyone at ’45 to take her place.”