UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping believes Justin Gaethje opting to sit out for a lightweight title shot could cost him.
“BMF” champion Gaethje (25-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) recently said he’s willing to wait his turn for a title shot if the UFC chooses to rebook a title-fight rematch between lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira next.
But with Max Holloway (25-7 MMA, 21-7 UFC) calling out Gaethje, Bisping thinks Gaethje should consider that option to avoid being forgotten about. He pointed to No. 1 middleweight contender Dricus Du Plessis as an example, who has been leapfrogged by Khamzat Chimaev.
“Max Holloway? Sign me up,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “Justin Gaethje, Max Holloway, ‘BMF’ belt, make some more history, defend the ‘BMF’ belt. He would be the first person ever to defend the ‘BMF’ belt. I mean, that’s a pretty cool thing. Listen, we know that’s kind of a made-up belt for promotion purposes, but it’s cool, and the fans dig it, and I love it. Why not?
“Come on, defend the ‘BMF’ against Max Holloway and in the meantime, Charles Oliveira, Islam Makhachev, they go to war. Islam probably gets the job done there and then Justin Gaethje steps up, fights him wherever it is, Las Vegas, Abu Dhabi, I don’t care. I just want to see the fight. So there it is. I don’t think Justin Gaethje should sit out because history has shown that you can be forgotten about.”
Daniel Cormier recently made a case for Makhachev vs. the returning Conor McGregor, and Bisping doesn’t rule that out as a possibility. Hence, why he urges Gaethje to remain active so he stays relevant in the title discussion.
“There could be some crazy victory soon,” Bisping continued. “Conor McGregor, he’s back. He’s going to fight Michael Chandler. If that fight with Islam and Justin doesn’t happen before Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler, you can bet your bottom dollar (if) Conor McGregor wins that fight, he’s fighting for the belt. So again, where does that leave Justin Gaethje?”
