Michael Bisping has added his name to the growing list of people unhappy with how often Islam Makhachev fights. The former UFC middleweight champion turned commentator took aim at the Russian's pace and the way he manages his career, joining a chorus of critics who feel the welterweight champion simply does not compete enough.

Makhachev last stepped into the cage on August 15, 2026, beating Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision to defend his welterweight title. The gaps between his appearances have become the real talking point among fans and now, apparently, former champions too.

Bisping's criticism lands at a strange moment for Makhachev. On paper he looks as dominant as ever. Our Elo model has him rated at 1629 across seven tracked bouts, numbers that put him among the sport's elite by pure performance metrics. The issue critics like Bisping are raising is not about whether Makhachev wins, it is about how rarely fans get to see him do it.

For a champion sitting on top of the welterweight division, that kind of scrutiny only grows louder the longer the layoffs stretch. Title reigns built on long gaps between defenses tend to draw exactly this sort of pushback, and having a figure as recognizable as Bisping voice it publicly gives the complaint more weight than the usual fan grumbling online.

What happens next likely depends on how soon Makhachev commits to another defense. Until a new fight gets announced, the narrative around his activity, fair or not, is not going away anytime soon.

With Bisping now part of the conversation, the pressure on Makhachev to answer questions about his schedule, rather than just his results, is only going to intensify.