Newsflash: Georges St-Pierre is gone, you guys.
In stark opposition to one of professional fighting’s most clichéd rallying cries, the champ is not here. At least not at the moment.
As St-Pierre’s indefinite sabbatical nears the end of its second month, it’s starting to feel more and more like the greatest welterweight of all time might not be coming back.
Last week’s outburst about the UFC’s laissez-faire drug testing policies (and the company’s rote response) revealed the gulf between GSP and his former employers might be even wider than we first thought. He’s not just tired, hurt and sorting through personal issues, he’s angry.
And if St. Pierre is waiting for a change in policy from the notoriously stubborn fight company, he could be waiting a long time.
Perhaps for the first time, we must seriously consider the reality of the UFC’s 170-pound division without him. As unpleasant as it sounds, it’s time we tried to find our bearings in these turbulent, uncharted waters.
Here’s a look at who the major players might be and how the immediate future of the welterweight class could play out…