"That's what we want to see from Khamzat Chimaev" - Michael Bisping reacts to MMA X's wish list for 2025

Michael Bisping reacted to the wishlist of MMA fans, which also included them suggesting that Khamzat Chimaev should fight at least three times in 2025. The UFC commentator shared his thoughts on Chimaev's potential fights for next year.

The Chechen-born fighter fought only once in 2024 but delivered arguably the best submission of the year. He faced former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in the co-main event of UFC 308 and submitted him via rear-naked choke, which misaligned 'The Reaper's teeth in the first round.

This performance has cemented him as a top contender for the title. He will likely face the winner of Dricus Du Plessis vs Sean Strickland, scheduled for UFC 312 in February next year.

In his recent YouTube video, Bisping agreed with fans' wish to see Chimaev fight thrice in 2025, with matchups against Strickland and Du Plessis being a sure thing. Bisping said:

“Chimaev fights three times, including against Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis. I like that one—that’s what we want to see from Khamzat Chimaev. Of course, what he did last year, choking out Robert Whittaker the way he did, smashing his teeth and demolishing him without any pushback, was impressive. But Chimaev’s strength of schedule is kind of what’s holding him back."

"A fight against Strickland is one we all want to see, and a fight against Du Plessis would be a title fight, depending on who wins," he added.

Check out Michael Bisping’s comments below (4:49):

Bisping also mentioned other matchups he looked forward to: Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler, Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall and Amanda Nunes vs. Kayla Harrison.

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Robert Whittaker reflects on his loss to Khamzat Chimaev

Robert Whittaker entered UFC 308 after a first-round knockout victory over Ikram Aliskerov. As a result, many fans and pundits believed his fight against Khamzat Chimaev would be closely contested. However, ‘Borz’ submitted him in the first round.

On his MMArcade Podcast, Whittaker praised Chimaev's wrestling skills and said:

"Within seconds of the fight starting, I felt really comfortable standing with him [Chimaev]. Like, really comfortable, but then the dude drops to like a millimeter - how do you stop that takedown, guy? And understandably, it's like, we did a lot of wrestling, we did a lot of stuff, we did a lot of wall work."

"But mate, it's so hard to replicate that sort of takedown, that sort of commitment. And you know, props to him. The guy knows his strengths and played into them to a T and is willing to burn it all there for it," he added.

Check out Robert Whittaker’s comments below: