Michael Bisping is siding with Ilia Topuria ahead of his title-unification clash with Justin Gaethje in the UFC Freedom 250 main event.
Topuria, the lightweight champion with a 17-0 MMA record and 9-0 UFC mark, is set to face Gaethje (27-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) on Sunday at the White House in Washington, in a bout that will stream on Paramount+.
"I don't think I'm going to surprise anyone by saying I think Ilia Topuria does this," Bisping said, noting that the betting odds heavily favor the undefeated champion over Gaethje.
"He's surgical, he's precise, he's got absolutely insane power. Justin's also got power. He knocked outDustin Poirier, but the difference is that we routinely see this from Ilia Topuria. He knocks people out back to back:Max Holloway, Volkanovski,Charles Oliveira. ..."
Bisping also highlighted Topuria's finishing ability in other areas of the fight. "And before he beat Oliveira, Charles tried to take him down, and within seconds, Ilia had him in a crucifix, and then he gets back to his feet, and he knocks him out cold. ... Justin's great, Justin's awesome, we're all fans of Justin, but Justin's got a lot of miles on the clock. And Justin went toe to toe with Paddy for five rounds and took a lot of damage. Ilia's taking his one shot. I think he will land that one shot. I mean, he's saying that he's going to break his jaw in the first 15 seconds. You never know, we might see that."
Still, Bisping left the door open for Gaethje. "Justin Gaethje is a tough guy though," he said, later adding, "You never know, maybe we have an upset on our hands. That's mixed martial arts, it happens all the time, but the smart money's on Ilia Topuria."
