Michael Bisping is throwing a little cold water on the Khamzat Chimaev hype. The UFC Hall of Famer recently reacted to a ChatGPT-generated ranking of the greatest middleweights in UFC history, and he had some serious issues with seeing ‘Borz’ all the way up at No. 5.

The AI ranked Anderson Silva first, Israel Adesanya second, Robert Whittaker third, Chris Weidman fourth and Khamzat Chimaev fifth. And while Bisping agreed with some of the names on the list, he wasn’t convinced ‘Borz’ had done enough at 185 pounds to warrant a spot that high.

“I wouldn’t put Khamzat in the top ten. What did he do?” Michael Bisping said on the JAXXON Podcast.

Bear Degidio tried to make the case for Khamzat Chimaev by pointing out that he had already fought for a world title. But ‘The Count’ wasn’t having it. In his eyes, the bigger issue is that ‘Borz’ simply hasn’t spent enough time at middleweight, or built the kind of championship resume needed to justify Chimaev’s No. 5 spot on the rankings.

“Yeah, and he never defended it. He never defended (the title),” he continued. “How many fights has he had at middleweight? How many fights has he had at middleweight? Because he campaigned mainly at welterweight.

“He fought Usman at 185. He beat… who did he beat for the belt? Dricus at 185. But there wasn’t too many fights at 185. I’m not being dismissive of Khamzat.”

And to be fair, Michael Bisping’s argument isn’t exactly coming out of left field. Khamzat Chimaev spent a big chunk of his UFC run at welterweight before eventually making middleweight his home. That included wins over Rhys McKee, Li Jingliang, and Gilbert Burns at 170 pounds. Then came UFC 279, where things got messy.

‘Borz’ was supposed to fight Kevin Holland at welterweight, but he blew past the limit by a whopping 7.5 pounds, weighing in at 178.5 pounds for what was supposed to be a 171-pound non-title fight. The fight was eventually moved to a 180-pound catchweight, and the 32-year-old wasted little time making up for the scale drama, submitting Holland.

Still, the UFC Hall of Famer’s argument started to wobble when Degidio reminded him of a pretty massive name on Chimaev’s middleweight résumé: Robert Whittaker.

“He fought Whittaker at middleweight, right? Remember he broke his (jaw)?” Degidio asked.

“Oh, s—. Yeah, great win, great win. You’re right,” Bisping immediately admitted.

And that’s a pretty important point. Khamzat Chimaev’s middleweight resume isn’t exactly thin. He’s 6-1 in official middleweight bouts, picking up huge wins over Kamaru Usman, Robert Whittaker, and Dricus du Plessis. He’s also beaten John Phillips and Gerald Meerschaert at 185 pounds.

And when you look at the names, it’s tough to completely brush off Khamzat Chimaev’s middleweight run. Kamaru Usman, Robert Whittaker, and Dricus Du Plessis all came at 185 pounds, with the Du Plessis win at UFC 319 earning ‘Borz’ the middleweight title.

The Whittaker win, meanwhile, stands out as one of the nastiest performances of his UFC career. So much so that even ‘The Count’ had to give Chimaev credit once Degidio brought those wins up.

So, Michael Bisping isn’t really saying the 32-year-old has done nothing at middleweight. His point is more about whether seven fights at 185 pounds, including one loss, are enough to put together an all-time résumé.

And that’s where the debate gets interesting. When talking about the greatest middleweights in UFC history, it’s not just about beating a few big names. Championship defenses, longevity, the number of elite opponents beaten, and sustained success at 185 all play a major role.

Khamzat Chimaev already has the big wins. What he doesn’t have yet is the long championship run and stack of title defenses that usually come with an all-time-great resume.

The funny part? ‘The Count’ himself has previously made it sound like Chimaev could be on the verge of taking over the division. After ‘Borz’ steamrolled Dricus Du Plessis, Bisping was singing a very different tune on his YouTube channel, declaring that the middleweight division had officially entered a new era.

“I’m telling you right now, we’re living in the era of Khamzat Chimaev,” Bisping said. “I’m not going to sit here and criticize Dricus Du Plessis. I think he’s an incredible fighter and a great champion, and he may very well be back, but right now we’re living in the era of Khamzat Chimaev.”

So, Michael Bisping’s latest take doesn’t exactly mean he’s suddenly down on Khamzat Chimaev. If anything, it sounds more like a reminder that being an elite fighter and being an all-time great are two very different things.

The former champion has already put some serious names on his resume. But if he wants to sit at the table with the greatest middleweights ever, ‘The Count’ clearly believes there’s still more work to do. And the 32-year-old might get the perfect opportunity to prove him wrong—with the reigning champion himself now in the picture following the latest $1 million power move.

Khamzat Chimaev’s $1 million offer brings Sean Strickland rematch campaign back to life

While Michael Bisping is busy debating where Khamzat Chimaev belongs in middleweight history, ‘Borz’ has a much more immediate target in mind.

The former champion has been calling for another shot at Sean Strickland ever since suffering the first loss of his pro career against him at UFC 328 in May. ‘Tarzan’ edged him by split decision to capture the middleweight title, and now Nassourdine Imavov is reportedly in the mix as the next challenger, although nothing has been officially announced yet.

Things got even more interesting when Strickland revealed that his next fight was stuck in a money dispute with the UFC. The former champion is reportedly asking for $1 million to face ‘The Sniper’ at UFC 336 on January 16, but the two sides still haven’t managed to reach a deal.

‘Borz’ saw the opening and decided to make things very interesting. Instead of waiting around for the UFC negotiations to play out, the 32-year-old offered Strickland $1 million of his own to scrap the Imavov fight and run it back with him.

“Strickland, I will pay you one 🍋 Send me location and let’s fight. Don’t care outside inside the cage,” he wrote on X.

Nassourdine Imavov had already thrown some serious money into the mix himself, offering Strickland $500,000 of his own cash if the former champion beats him in January.

But Khamzat Chimaev clearly isn’t letting that first loss go quietly. ‘Borz’ still has his eyes locked on the middleweight title, and his wild $1 million offer has dragged the rematch right back into the spotlight.

The UFC may be leaning toward Strickland vs. Imavov, but Chimaev just made sure his name is impossible to ignore.