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Michael Bisping Names Contender Khamzat Chimaev Should Fight To Earn Middleweight Title Shot

Originally posted on MMA News | By Thomas Albano | Last updated 2/4/24

Khamzat Chimaev is crying foul after seemingly being left out of the title picture despite apparently being told he had earned a middleweight title fight previously.

Chimaev fought at UFC 294 in October, where he defeated former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in what was being billed as a middleweight title eliminator.

But things have quickly changed in the 185-pound landscape. Sean Strickland pulled off a major upset over Israel Adesanya one month before Chimaev vs. Usman to capture the UFC middleweight championship. More recently, Dricus Du Plessis took the title from "Tarzan" in a close contest with Strickland at UFC 297 a couple of weeks ago.

All eyes may now be pointed toward a highly anticipated heated showdown between Du Plessis and former champ Israel Adesanya, should "The Last Stylebender" return sooner than he previously teased.

So, where does this leave Chimaev?

Bisping Feels Chimaev Needs To Defeat Top Middleweight To Silence Critics Before Title Shot

In recent comments made on his YouTube channel, former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping outlined his belief that Chimaev has done more than his fair load to earn a title shot.

That same opinion, however, hasn't been shared by others, including Du Plessis and Strickland.

In Bisping's mind, though Chimaev may not be a fan of the idea, fighting another title eliminator - this time against someone in the top five of the rankings - may silence critics and solidify him being next in line at that point.

According to Bisping, that person could be Jared Cannonier, who has called Chimaev out for a fight. The Brit noted how "The Killa Gorilla" has a win over Strickland and previously challenged then-champion Adesanya for the middleweight title at UFC 276 in July 2022.

"This makes all the sense in the world," Bisping said. "If Khamzat Chimaev can come back and get a win over former title challenger Jared Cannonier, then all these people that are criticizing him, they can shut the hell up. If Jared Cannonier can get a win, be the first person ever to defeat Khamzat Chimaev, well, guess what? He's right there almost in line for a title shot once again."

It should be noted that before the Usman bout, Chimaev only competed at 185 pounds twice in the UFC - his July 2020 UFC debut win over John Phillips and his 17-second knockout of Gerald Meerschaert in September of that same year.

Chimaev had been rising up the welterweight rankings before a significant weight miss in the lead-up to UFC 279.

Usman was making his middleweight debut when he fought Chimaev, and that was a fight taken on 10 days' notice. The original plan had been for Chimaev to take on Paulo Costa at UFC 294 before Costa withdrew from the fight.

This article first appeared on MMA News and was syndicated with permission.

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