Former middleweight champion and current UFC commentator Michael Bisping is calling for a blockbuster champion-versus-champion showdown when the Ultimate Fighting Championship stages its highly anticipated event at the White House on June 14.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Bisping made it clear that if the UFC is bringing the Octagon to such a historic venue, the promotion must deliver a card worthy of the occasion.
“Don't put an event on at the White House and not have the fight card just blow everything else to smithereens, right?” Bisping said. “This thing has to deliver, and it absolutely will. And they're going to put together the most incredible night of fights that us fight fans, UFC fans, could ever imagine, right? And there's no bigger fight right now, in my humble opinion, than Islam Makhachev versus Ilia Topuria.”
Bisping is advocating for a superfight between reigning lightweight champion Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) and current welterweight titleholder (and former lightweight king) Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC). The bout would come despite the fact that Justin Gaethje (27-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) recently captured the interim lightweight title by defeating Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 in January, positioning himself as the rightful No. 1 contender to face Topuria.
“I know Justin is the interim (champion). And Ilia is the undisputed (champion), and that (fight) should happen. It really should,” Bisping acknowledged. “But this is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion. It's going down on the White House lawn. President Trump will be there. The whole world will be tuning in. That's a fact, okay? There's going to be billions of people watching this. They want to put on the biggest fights, okay? So unfortunately, in this situation, Justin Gaethje is going to have to wait.”
Bisping underscored Makhachev’s credentials as justification for the matchup.
“On one side, you have Islam Makhachev. A man that is 28-1, okay? A two-weight division champion. A two-weight division champion. Dominated lightweight. The greatest lightweight fighter that the sport has ever seen,” he said.
While acknowledging the star power and legacy of past champions, Bisping argued Makhachev’s résumé stands on its own.
“Yes, Conor McGregor was a bigger star. Yes, Khabib Nurmagomedov may be the GOAT, and he's a cultural icon, of course, and what he's done in this sport will never be forgotten. But on paper, Islam Makhachev has defended the belt four times.”
Whether the UFC opts for divisional order or spectacle remains to be seen, but Bisping has made his position clear: if the Octagon is headed to the White House, only the biggest fight in the sport will suffice.
