One of the major talking points coming out of UFC 167 was Dana White‘s fiery and controversial comments about Georges St-Pierre.
After being awarded a close split-decision win over challenger Johny Hendricks, St-Pierre said that he wanted to hang up his gloves and step away from the sport for a bit. He was going through some things in his personal life and needed some time to focus on those issues.
Here’s what White had to say at the press conference, which Bleacher Report attended:
You owe it to the fans, you owe it to that belt, you owe to this company and you owe it to Johny Hendricks to give him that opportunity to fight again, unless you’re going to retire. There’s no I’m going to go on a cruise, and I’m going to be gone for two years, and I’m going to take a hiatus…That’s not how it works.
White received plenty of criticism for his comments, from me and others, but he nevertheless doubled down on his stance during Wednesday’s episode of UFC Tonight.
On Thursday morning, UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta took a more measured approach to the situation during an interview with Ariel Helwani:
I think Dana was misunderstood and think hopefully he’s trying to clarify that. GSP doesn’t owe us anything. If he chooses to retire, then so be it, he’ll retire and become someone that people will always look up to as one of the great champions in the UFC. If he decides to fight again, then great.
Georges doesn’t owe us anything. Just, what I think he does owe us is – clarify what you’re doing, right? Just let us know so we can plan.
I’ve often wondered why Fertitta doesn’t do more media like this. White is an incredible promoter, and you have to respect him for always speaking his mind, even when it’s to the detriment of some of his top stars. That trait connects him with hardcore fight fans, and it’s the reason he’s one of the UFC’s biggest stars despite not being a fighter.
But, as you see here, Fertitta is much more polished and well-spoken, and he has the ability to break things down with clarity and conscience. He’s the kind of figurehead that people think of when they think of major sports commissioners.
Fertitta is right: The only thing that St-Pierre owes the UFC is direct communication regarding his plans for the future. If he wants to retire—and despite White’s insistence, retirement is still a viable option for the welterweight champion—then so be it. If he wants to return to the Octagon, even better.
And if he decides he needs some time away to handle his personal issues, that’s fine, too. All he has to do is pick up the phone and let Fertitta know. He’ll have to relinquish the welterweight belt, because it’s not fair to Hendricks and other top contenders to shelve the title that they’re trying to obtain for a year or more.
But if St-Pierre’s personal problems are as important to him as they seem to be, giving up the title while he’s away shouldn’t be an issue.
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