UFC President Dana White told Fox Sports Australia’s UFC Fight Week that a planned middleweight title fight between Georges St-Pierre and Michael Bisping has been called off.
According to Fox Sports Australia, White said the promotion has no interest in waiting until November to make the fight—which is when St-Pierre preferred to enter the Octagon against the current middleweight champion.
“I made this GSP fight, we did a press conference,” White said. “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.”
Now, Yoel Romero is primed to take St-Pierre’s spot in the title bout and challenge Bisping for superiority in UFC’s most compelling division.
“(Yoel) doesn’t need to voice his opinion on why he needs a title shot,” White said. “He definitely deserves a title shot. He’s next in line, he’s the No. 1 ranked guy in the world. …
“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.”
The title shot has been a long time coming for Romero (12-1), who has rattled off eight straight UFC victories dating back to April 2013.
The most recent came last November at UFC 205, when “Soldier of God” sent Chris Weidman packing 24 seconds into the third round of their clash at Madison Square Garden.
Bisping, meanwhile, will attempt to mount a second successful title defense after he defeated Dan Henderson by unanimous decision at UFC 204 last October following a stunning first-round knockout of Luke Rockhold to initially claim the strap at UFC 199.
As for St-Pierre, the Canadian will have to look elsewhere for a bout as he attempts to make a return to the Octagon following a near-four-year hiatus.
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