Michael Bisping offers blunt take on Khamzat Chimaev "running from Nassourdine Imavov" and connects it to a larger issue in the UFC

Michael Bisping recently reacted to Khamzat Chimaev's plans, criticising how modern UFC champions handle their reigns.

Bisping believes Chimaev’s talk of moving up to light heavyweight after a single middleweight defence is unjustified. In his view, champions are too quick to look for legacy fights instead of clearing out their own divisions. This trend, he argues, has created confusion and frustration for contenders waiting their turn.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Bisping said:

"We've got Ilia apparently running from Arman Tsarukyan, we've got Islam Makhachev running from Ilia Topuria, we've got Khamzat Chimaev running from Nassourdine Imavov, we've got [Alex] Pereira running from Khamzat Chimaev, and we've got Jon Jones, the greatest of all time, running from big Tom Aspinall. That is the situation if you listen to all the noise."

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He added:

"I've said it many times in the past. You really need to defend the belt in your weight class three times before you even think about moving on, or you've got to vacate the belt. Vacate the belt, keep the division moving on, and then you go up to the next division, maybe earn a fight, maybe get an immediate rematch if your star is big enough, if you've defended the belt three times or whatever the case may be. But this whole thing of wanting to just jump ship straight away. I mean, Pereira came back, and he beat Magomed Ankalaev. If anyone's got the right to be talking about that, it is Alex Pereira."

Check out Michael Bisping's comments below:

Khamzat Chimaev explains reluctance to face Nassourdine Imavov

Khamzat Chimaev recently explained why he is not eager to defend his UFC middleweight title against Nassourdine Imavov.

The unbeaten champion cited mutual respect and shared cultural ties as factors behind his reluctance. Chimaev explained that he knows Imavov well and does not enjoy the online drama surrounding fighters from Dagestan and Chechnya.

Speaking in a recent interview with ESPN MMA, he said:

“Like [as] a Muslim, he’s from Dagestan... You know how Dagestan and Chechen people are like, it’s a little bit like there’s a lot of drama on the internet, [things] I don’t like about it. But if the UFC wants it, bro, I’m never gonna say ‘no’. If the guy wants it... I tell his manager as well, ‘Brother, if Nassourdine wants, I’m gonna be open.’"