Islam Makhachev could have one more major milestone to achieve before he retires from MMA. With the welterweight champion suggesting that he has only a few fights left in his career, Michael Bisping believes a move to middleweight for a shot at a third UFC title should be on the table.
Makhachev recently raised eyebrows after negotiations for a welterweight title defense ahead of Ramadan fell through. Instead, the UFC booked an interim title fight between Carlos Prates and Michael Morales for the UFC 336 main event.
Many fans questioned why the promotion would arrange an interim title fight instead of allowing Makhachev to defend his belt. However, the pound-for-pound great later explained on social media that his next appearance would be one of the final fights of his career.
With Makhachev’s Hall of Fame career approaching its final chapter, Bisping believes the Russian deserves an opportunity to make history by becoming a three-division champion.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former UFC middleweight champion reacted to Makhachev’s comments and suggested that a move up to 185 pounds could make sense if he defeats the winner of Prates vs. Morales.
“He says he’s almost done,” Bisping said. “One of his last fights. So say he has this one, let’s say he beats the winner of Prates and Morales. So then he’s got two defenses at welterweight, four defenses at lightweight, that moving up to 185 and trying to become the triple champ? I like the sound of that.
“And if anyone deserves it, it is Islam Makhachev. Remember, Alex Pereira was just granted that opportunity to go up to heavyweight and fight Ciryl Gane.”
However, it remains unclear whether Makhachev would welcome another move up in weight. In late 2024, American Kickboxing Academy head coach Javier Mendez told The Schmo that he had no doubt his fighter could win the middleweight title.
Mendez, however, admitted that he was unsure whether Makhachev had any interest in pursuing a third UFC championship.
While Bisping is backing Makhachev to pursue another championship, Colby Covington has offered a different perspective on the champion’s comments.
Following the announcement of the interim title fight, Makhachev faced criticism for not defending his welterweight belt. However, Covington surprisingly came to his defense after the Russian suggested that he did not have many fights left in his career.
Makhachev made the comments while defending his decision to wait for a clear contender to emerge at 170 pounds. His statement that his next fight would be “one of the last” in his career also sparked speculation that retirement could be closer than expected.
However, the champion did not say that his next appearance would definitely be his final fight.
Covington was recently asked during an interview with Submission Radio what he made of Makhachev’s comments and the possibility that fans might only see him compete once more.
“He might not even ever fight again,” Covington replied. “When you say a comment like that and you’re half-foot out, half-foot in, you probably should just leave now. You shouldn’t come back to the Octagon.”
‘Chaos’ also suggested that Makhachev could be using retirement talk as a negotiation tactic to secure a better deal from the UFC.
The Russian has previously spoken about extending his winning streak and competing several more times to make his record difficult for future fighters to break.
Covington believes Makhachev’s comments could be a way of reminding the promotion that he is willing to walk away if he does not receive the right offer.
“Honestly, that’s probably a negotiation tactic, I’ll be honest,” he said. “Maybe that’s what he’s publicly negotiating with the UFC, like, ‘Hey, the next one’s going to be the last, retirement. But if you don’t give me enough money, I’ll just retire early.’”
