Michael Bisping with a hot take!!! Former middleweight champion and UFC legend Michael Bisping has a lot to say about Alexander Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev. Bipsing think's Volkanovski is a fighters fighter. No challenge to big and no opponent is to much of a challenge to overcome. With Volkanovski stepping up on short notice to fight Islam in the rematch which a lot of fans were highly anticipating would happen due to such a close fight the first time. Bisping says Islam sits out and waits for contenders to take each other out and fights once a year which he think is the complete opposite to Volk. Bisping was also known as the anyone anywhere fighters back when he was competing which him and Volk see eye to eye too. Is Bisping right?
Michael Bisping has weighed in on two of the sport's biggest names, calling Alexander Volkanovski a "fighter's fighter" while taking aim at the way Islam Makhachev manages his schedule.
The former middleweight champion argues that Volkanovski never shies away from a challenge. Bisping pointed to the Australian stepping in on short notice for the rematch with Makhachev, a fight many fans wanted after the first bout was so close. By contrast, Bisping says Makhachev sits out, waits for contenders to eliminate each other and fights roughly once a year. He sees Volkanovski as the opposite, and he links that to his own reputation as an "anyone, anywhere" fighter during his career.
Volkanovski's recent run
Volkanovski, 38, is 29-4 and champion at featherweight, ranked third in the pound-for-pound standings. His most recent recorded fight came on October 24, 2026 at UFC 333, where he stopped Movsar Evloev in the second round in a title bout. Before that he beat Diego Lopes by unanimous decision at UFC 325 in January 2026 and again at UFC 314 in April 2025. He lands 5.99 significant strikes per minute at 57 percent accuracy, the highest volume of the three men in this story.
Makhachev's schedule
Makhachev, 35, is 29-1 and holds the welterweight title. His most recent recorded fight was a unanimous decision over Ian Machado Garry in a title defense at UFC 330 on August 15, 2026. That followed a unanimous decision win over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 in November 2025, and a first-round submission of Renato Moicano at UFC 311 in January 2025. The Russian averages 3.22 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands 58 percent of his significant strikes.
Why it matters
- Makhachev beat Volkanovski twice: by unanimous decision at UFC 284 in February 2023 and by first-round TKO at UFC 294 in October 2023, the short-notice rematch Bisping references.
- The recorded numbers give Bisping's point some context. Makhachev's last three recorded fights span about 19 months, while Volkanovski has fought three times in roughly 18 months.
- Bisping, 47 and 30-9, last fought in November 2017, and he frames the "anyone, anywhere" attitude as a trait he shares with Volkanovski.
Bisping closed his take by asking whether he is right, a question that has split fans.
