New champions come and previous champions go. That is the never-ended storyline in sports activities, together with within the UFC. Annually the combat promotion crowns new champions and 2025 can be no totally different.
Former middleweight titleholder Michael Bisping believes at the very least 4 belts will change arms within the upcoming yr and particularly named which divisions.
The primary present champion that Bisping believes will fall is girls’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili. Weili faces Tatiana Suarez within the UFC 312 co-main occasion on Feb. 9 in Sydney, Australia and Bisping predicts that Suarez will depart the octagon with the championship.
“I’ve obtained to go together with Tatiana Suarez – I did say that this time final yr. In fact, she’s combating Zhang Weili, so we’ll see how that performs out. I simply suppose the wrestling that Tatiana Suarez has goes to trigger a variety of issues for lots of people. This time subsequent yr, a technique or one other, she’ll be the champ,” Bisping stated on TNT Sports activities’ “Combat Week.”
Julianna Peña holds the ladies’s bantamweight title. She captured the belt by defeating Raquel Pennington in a controversial break up choice in October. By the tip of 2025, Bisping predicts Kayla Harrison could have the ladies’s 135-pound belt.
“The ladies’s bantamweight champion, there’s solely going to be one identify in dialogue: Kayla Harrison. No offense to Julianna Peña, I believe she’s nice for the game, she’s a enjoyable particular person. She’s enjoyable to take a seat and watch fights with as a result of she talks a variety of s-h-i-t the entire time. She’s nice, however Kayla Harrison, I consider, can be too large, too sturdy, too good at judo, too mentally sturdy, too match. She’ll drag her down, she’ll get the submission, and he or she’ll additionally get the belt,” Bisping predicted.
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Middleweight champion Dricus de Plessis places his title on the road within the UFC 312 foremost occasion in a rematch towards former titleholder Sean Strickland. Regardless who wins on Feb. 9, Bisping sees Khamzat Chimaev can be middleweight champion as quickly as he will get to combat for it.
“It’s fascinating as a result of I’m trying on the rankings right here. I by no means thought we’d see a yr the place Robert Whittaker wasn’t within the dialog. It simply exhibits the game is such a merciless mistress. Clearly, Khamzat Chimaev squeezed his enamel out final time, and yeah, I’m gonna should say Khazmzat. Dricus (Du Plessis) is an incredible champion. I believe him and Sean (Strickland) could have one other shut combat, however I believe regardless, when Khamzat will get his likelihood, he’ll be victorious. I imply, what he did to Robert Whittaker – I’ll by no means underestimate that man ever once more,” Bisping stated.
The fourth championship that Bisping believes will change arms was the heavyweight title at present held by Jon Jones.
“If there may be an interim champion, it will likely be Tom Aspinall. Nevertheless, I don’t suppose there can be one. I consider that the rationale Tom isn’t combating at London is as a result of Jon Jones–Tom Aspinall will go down. The largest heavyweight combat the game has ever seen. Possibly the largest combat interval that this sport has ever seen. Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall, and when the mud settles, ‘Tommy Aspinall, Aspinall, Tommy Aspinall!”
