UFC 167 produced one of the most controversial title fights in company history, as longtime champion Georges St-Pierre got bruised and bloodied up by challenger Johny Hendricks in the main event of the evening.
Two out of three judges still believed that despite a massive difference in damage taken, GSP‘s takedowns and offensive striking were enough to earn a split decision.
That result isn’t sitting well with most fighters and fans, including UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes, who fought “Rush” three times during his nearly 14-year fight career.
Hughes strongly believed “Bigg Rigg” did more than enough to win a convincing decision, evidenced by this tweet he sent out Sunday morning:
With the decision last night I would have been less surprised if they gave Johny EVERY round. Will go down as worst decision in UFC history.
— Matt Hughes (@matthughes9x) November 17, 2013
After several fans accused him of being biased against St-Pierre, Hughes clarified that the blame of the bad decision rests solely on the Nevada State Athletic Commission:
Guys I like GSP. He did NOTHING wrong. It’s the commission that screwed up. Look what this did to Johny. GSPs corner thought they last.
— Matt Hughes (@matthughes9x) November 17, 2013
Hughes, who current serves as the vice president of athletic development and government relations for the UFC, defeated St-Pierre with an armbar the first time they met at UFC 50 in October 2004.
However, the French-Canadian superstar figured out his American counterpart in their subsequent meetings, scoring a TKO at their UFC 65 encounter and then locking up an armbar of his own at UFC 79 13 months later.
At the UFC 167 post-fight press conference, St-Pierre said he believed he had won three out of five rounds and deserved to retain his belt.
The immediate future for the UFC’s welterweight title picture is a bit of a question mark, as GSP said that he plans “to step away for a little bit,” though UFC President Dana White indicated that GSP vs. Hendricks II will happen sooner than later, per CBC Sports.
Does anyone outside of the Tristar Gym believe that St-Pierre truly did enough to retain his UFC gold against the heavy-handed Hendricks?
John Heinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com.
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