Former UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping thinks current champion Charles Oliveira has a clear pathway to becoming the greatest lightweight in UFC history.
On his most recent Live Chat episode streamed on his YouTube channel, Bisping was asked whether or not a win over the surging Islam Makhachev would be enough to claim the title, to which he responded with:
"If Charles Oliveira, having beaten Poirier, having beaten Chandler, if he beats Gaethje, if he goes on to be a McGregor, and if he beats Islam Makhachev who is essentially Khabib 2.0, then yeah, I think Charles Oliveira would be the GOAT."
Bisping also acknowledged that Khabib Nurmagomedov carries around the title, but he also pointed out that calling him the greatest mixed martial artist of all time is a 'lofty claim.'
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Watch Michael Bisping's latest Live Chat episode here:
Since making his lightweight debut in the UFC, Oliveira has boasted an 11-1 record, with his only loss coming back in 2017 to paul Felder at UFC 218, with impressive victories over Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee under his belt as well.
Oliveira is scheduled as UFC 274's main event as he looks to make his second-ever title, while No.1-ranked lightweight Justin Gaethje is hoping another shot will be all he needs to fulfill his professional dream.
Michael Bisping believes his boxing technique is 'better' than before he retired from MMA
All week, it has been speculated that former UFC champion Michael Bisping and Jake Paul are ready to go toe-to-toe inside the boxing ring after Paul announced his intention to return sometime later this year.
In his most recent Live Chat episode streamed last night on his YouTube channel, Bisping once again insisted that he is capable of beating the social media phenom, saying:
"I'm pretty confident I can beat Jake Paul in a boxing match, I hit the bag most days, I still stay in shape, I run nearly every single day and I actually believe my boxing technique now is better than what is was when I retired."
Watch Michael Bisping's full Live Chat here:
After some back and forth between the two, Bisping got the last word in by tweeting:
Bisping last competed in 2017, taking on Kelvin Gastelum only three weeks after losing the belt to the returning Georges St-Pierre by knockout in the first round.