The MMA legend, former UFC welterweight champion ‘George ‘Rush’ St. Pierre (25-2-0) is finally coming back to UFC to grace the octagon once again, and the man to stand opposite him, will be none other than current middleweight champion, Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping (31-7-0).
UFC announced the bout yesterday in Las Vegas but hasn’t decided the date or venue yet, but, most probably, the fight will happen in the second half of this year. Fall maybe?
GSP hasn’t fought anyone in over 3 years and has been on the minds of every MMA fan since his departure, wondering if the greatest Welterweight of all time could match up with today’s insane hybrid talent. Fight fans around the world went crazy after he announced his return, since then, experts, coaches, and fighters have all tried to predict who GSP will fight after his return and everyone suggested it was either McGregor or Bisping.
The UFC chose Bisping to fight GSP after GSP made 9 consecutive 170-pound title defenses before walking away from UFC for over 3 years with a split-decision win over Johny Hendricks (a controversial win on ‘Rush’s’ part. GSP will fight Bisping to take the 185-pound belt and make it his own. MMA’s oldest fans believe that the belt has always been his and he is just a king coming back to reclaim his throne, except it’s someone else’s throne, in a completely different division.
If he wins, he will become the fourth fighter in history to win UFC titles in two weight divisions, after Randy Couture, BJ Penn, and Conor McGregor.
There are two reasons behind UFC bringing two legends together: Money and Immortality.
And Bisping would never turn this fight down, in an interview recently, he claimed that he ‘Deserves a giant payday’ too. Apart from this, both these fighters are tied with the most wins in UFC history and while there might be a size difference, there sure as hell is also a skill difference.
But the fact remains the same.
Would GSP actually win after his long absence from UFC?
According to Bisping,
“I know there are people out there who are criticizing me. Saying I should fight the number one contender, guys like Yoel Romero, and they’re absolutely right. But, put the question right back to you: If you are Yoel Romero, or Luke Rockhold, or Jacare [Souza] or any of these guys. If you were offered a fight with GSP, I know for a fact you’re going to take that fight. So why shouldn’t I do the same? I deserve this payoff, I deserve this fight, not only for the payday, I want this fight for my legacy.”
