Michael Bisping names the perfect opponent to test Khamzat Chimaev’s cardio

Michael Bisping believes he knows the perfect opponent for Khamzat Chimaev’s next UFC fight.

Chimaev (13-0 MMA) is currently awaiting his next assignment from Dana White and company but has remained busy by calling out the likes of Dricus Du Plessis, Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya.

‘Borz’ was promised a middleweight title shot after defeating Kamaru Usman by majority decision at UFC 294, but the promotion walked back on that guarantee and ultimately awarded the 185lbs title shot to Dricus Du Plessis instead.

Khamzat Chimaev recently vented his frustration over being passed on for the title opportunity but remains focused on obtaining UFC gold this calendar year.

While a title shot coming next seems unlikely, Michael Bisping believes a number one contender’s bout with Jared Cannonier would be the “perfect” fight for Chimaev’s return.

“I would like to see him against a Jared Cannonier (type of fighter), because if he can’t take him down, and he can’t fix this problem with the cardio, then he’s going to have a real long-term problem going forward,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel (h/t MMAJunkie). “But who knows – maybe there’s a reason why he was running out of gas, OK? Probably because he doesn’t pace himself. He goes forward straight away, wrestles.

“When you try to take someone down, that is the most cardio-taxing element of mixed martial arts. Trying to wrestle someone, trying to grab hold of another grown man and force them to the floor – using technique, of course, but a lot of power goes into it. I can tell you from experience, that is absolutely exhausting – especially when you’ve got another world-class opponent who knows how to stop takedowns fighting against you.”

(via Zuffa LLC)

Michael Bisping concluded by saying that a fight with Sean Strickland would also be a logical choice for Khamzat Chimaev’s next fight, but he would ultimately prefer ‘Borz’ vs. Cannonier.

“Jared Cannonier, in my humble opinion, is the perfect opponent. There’s others out there. There’s Sean Strickland. They had a little moment in the gym, as well. So, Sean Strickland-Khamzat Chimaev, take my money. I’d love to see that one. But Khamzat-Jared Cannonier – that would be great.”

Who would you like to see Khamzat Chimaev matched up with next?