Romero: “I knew that Michael Bisping didn’t have good wrestling or grappling, I knew this guy had nothing for St-Pierre”.
According to top-ranked middleweight contender Yoel Romero, he ‘knew’ Georges St-Pierre was going to emerge victorious over Michael Bisping at UFC 217 in Madison Square Garden, New York.
‘The Count’ went back-and-forth with ‘Rush’ before being caught with a counter left hand in the third round. St-Pierre proceeded to maul Bisping on the ground and choke him unconscious with a rear-naked choke, earning his first stoppage win in over eight years.
Romero, who has been angling for a grudge match with Bisping ever since the Brit trashed the Cuban flag at UFC 213, wasn’t surprised with the outcome and expected GSP’s wrestling to be too much on the night.
“It’s not a surprise for anybody, it’s not a surprise, it’s not a surprise,” Romero told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, per MMA Fighting’s Danny Segura. “I knew that Michael Bisping didn’t have good wrestling or grappling, I knew this guy had nothing for St-Pierre. And I knew St-Pierre would beat him and go out again.”
Although St-Pierre has been forced to relinquish the title after being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, Romero thinks beating Bisping to become a two-division champion was the best Christmas gift he could have wished for.
“For sure, (I knew St-Pierre would vacate the middleweight belt), because 185 pounds is a very dangerous category, many people have good quality,” Romero said. “I clap for Georges St-Pierre because he’s smart, ‘ok, I have another belt, very easy with this guy. I kill him and I have a very good Christmas.’”
Just three weeks after being submitted by St-Pierre, Bisping was brutally knocked out by Kelvin Gastelum in a short-notice fight at UFC Fight Night 122 in Shanghai, China. The former champ has strongly hinted at retirement in his next bout, although — as of yet — no opponent has been booked.
Romero, who is ranked as the No. 1 middleweight contender in the world, hasn’t fought since he lost in an interim championship bout to Robert Whittaker at UFC 213. Whittaker was promoted to official champ after GSP vacated the title and the New Zealander is expected to fight Luke Rockhold in hist first title defense at UFC 221 on Feb. 10.