Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White, like the rest of the mixed martial arts (MMA) community, is tired of waiting for Georges St-Pierre to decide when he’s making his combat sports comeback.
The show must go on.
The former welterweight kingpin has been yanked from his Michael Bisping title fight — after “Rush” delayed his return until late fall — and gave it to division No. 1 contender Yoel Romero, who is expected to face “The Count” in July.
From White’s conversation with FOX Sports Australia:
“I made this GSP fight, we did a press conference. The thing was supposed to happen in July. Michael Bisping is going to have to defend his title now. We’re not waiting for GSP. (Yoel) doesn’t need to voice his opinion on why he needs a title shot. He definitely deserves a title shot. He’s next in line, he’s the No. 1 ranked guy in the world. Georges St-Pierre was coming back. Bisping-St-Pierre – they both wanted that fight. We asked Yoel to step aside, he did. It doesn’t look like that fight is gonna happen now. Georges St-Pierre is saying he will not be ready to compete now until November. Who knows if that’s even the case. It could be next year. So we’re not waiting for Georges St-Pierre anymore. We’re moving on with the division, and Yoel Romero will get the next shot.”
I swear I’ve heard that somewhere before.
White and St-Pierre have long had a contentious relationship dating back to their days as champion and promoter, which came to a head at the conclusion of the UFC 167 pay-per-view (PPV) in late 2013.
Those “tense” moments forced “Rush” to ride the pine for over three years.
Now it appears his Octagon return will be delayed even further with no “super fight” to lure him back into the cage. Then again, I hear we have an opening at 170 pounds, based on what this guy said.
Stay tuned.