Gokhan Saki calls for bout with Michael Bisping

Gokhan Saki has a fight lined up, but he’s already angling for a marquee matchup in the future.

On Saturday, Michael Bisping was asked who he might fight should he move back up to 205 pounds, the division he competed in when he started his MMA career back in 2004. “The Count” won 14 of his first 15 fights before moving to middleweight, where he became a star for the UFC, winning a championship in June 2016 and successfully defending it once.

The next fight of Bisping’s career could be his last and a number of names have been suggested for his retirement fight, including Nick Diaz and Lyoto Machida. Now Saki is throwing his name in the proverbial ring:

Saki proposed “MMA legend vs. kickboxing legend”, a reference to his own background as a world champion fighter competing for the K-1 and Glory promotions. Up next for Saki is just his third pro MMA bout, a rescheduled meeting with Khalil Rountree at UFC 226 in July.

If Saki passes his next test, it’s possible that the matchmakers will keep him under consideration for Bisping’s farewell fight.