UFC 209 promises to be one of the most intriguing and competitive cards in recent memory, and it is almost upon us… The event will be broadcast live on March 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card will be available to watch on pay-per-view and follows prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass. […]
UFC 209 promises to be one of the most intriguing and competitive cards in recent memory, and it is almost upon us… The event will be broadcast live on March 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card will be available to watch on pay-per-view and follows prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass. […]
Although he hasn’t fought since he vacated his title in 2013 following a highly controversial split decision win over Johny Hendricks, former longtime UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre announced late last week that he had inked a new deal with the promotion and would finally be returning to the Octagon he once ruled. His return
Although he hasn’t fought since he vacated his title in 2013 following a highly controversial split decision win over Johny Hendricks, former longtime UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre announced late last week that he had inked a new deal with the promotion and would finally be returning to the Octagon he once ruled.
His return fight has not yet been set, but there are no shortage of opponents waiting for St. Pierre, as he still remains one of the biggest names in the sport.
He was in talks to fight middleweight champion Michael Bisping late last year, which is still an option, as is a potential superfight with lightweight champion Conor McGregor. Both of these options interest his coach, Firas Zahabi, who recently offered his opinion on the sure-to-be-hot topic:
“My ideal scenario, I don’t know if it’s still up for grabs, but I was really happy when there was a buzzing of Bisping or McGregor,” Zahabi told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “I thought those two would be two epic fights. One, he would go a little lower [in weight]; one, he would go a little higher. But those are really, really intriguing fights. Of course, Tyron Woodley, he’s the [welterweight] champion and et cetera, but he has his fight with ‘Wonderboy’ [Thompson]. And if ‘Wonderboy’ wins, then they’ll have a trilogy. And of course we don’t want to fight with ‘Wonderboy,’ we go way back together.
“So I think the welterweight title is not really something he (St-Pierre) is thinking about right now because of the current landscape, but there is always the 185-pound belt. And of course, McGregor is such a mega-star that if you put those two on a main event, I don’t think that anybody in the world wouldn’t watch that. I think that even non-MMA fans would watch that. But again, I don’t do the match-ups, I don’t do the managing, I’m just talking as a trainer.”
Do either of these options interest you, or would you rather St. Pierre face a different opponent in his long-awaited comeback fight?
The hoopla surrounding a potential boxing bout between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather continues. When a report surfaced of Mayweather and McGregor agreeing to terms on a boxing match-up, it got everyone from sports to the mainstream media talking. Those talks were heightened when ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith claimed “Money” told him a deal with […]
The hoopla surrounding a potential boxing bout between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather continues. When a report surfaced of Mayweather and McGregor agreeing to terms on a boxing match-up, it got everyone from sports to the mainstream media talking. Those talks were heightened when ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith claimed “Money” told him a deal with […]
Freddie Roach is on board for Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather. The legendary boxing coach joined MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani on today’s (Mon. February 20, 2017) episode of The MMA Hour (quotes via MMA Mania) and revealed that ‘Money’ actually stopped by his gym to reveal to him that he will be fighting ‘The Notorious
Freddie Roach is on board for Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather.
The legendary boxing coach joined MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani on today’s (Mon. February 20, 2017) episode of The MMA Hour(quotes via MMA Mania) and revealed that ‘Money’ actually stopped by his gym to reveal to him that he will be fighting ‘The Notorious One’:
“Floyd actually came to my gym and told me, Freddie, I hear Conor talked to you.’ And I told him that he never has. He said, ‘If he reaches out and wants you to train him, I would take that job because I am going to fight him and we can all make a lot of money,’” said Freddie.
“So, according to Mayweather, yes, he said he was going to fight him and everything is pointing in that direction. At one point I didn’t think it was possible. I tried to make a fight one time when I was training Andrei Arlovski, and I tried to put him in with one of the Klitschkos,” said Roach.
“I thought I had a good idea. I went into Ari’s office, and I hadn’t seen Ari in 10 years. At that time they said it would never happen. But, we’re in a different era now and it looks like it is going to happen. Everything’s pointing in the right direction. He will have his hands full with a boxer like Floyd, but he’s sell-able and making noise. For a while I wanted him to be Georges first fight.”
McGregor has only lost one fight in his UFC tenure, a short-notice bout with Nate Diaz at 170 pounds, and has won all but two of his Octagon victories via knockout. This past November the Irishman became the first dual-weight champion in UFC history by defeating Eddie Alvarez in the second round of their historic main event meeting for the lightweight title at Madison Square Garden.
While his striking may be viewed as some of the most elite in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) he’s staring at a possible boxing superfight against arguably the greatest defensive fighter of all time. Roach believes McGregor certainly has a puncher’s chance against Mayweather, but says he would need a long time to prepare for a boxer the caliber of ‘Money’:
“Well, he is a pretty good striker. The thing is, Floyd is a great boxer. He is good at hitting and not getting hit. It would take a long time for Conor to get ready for a pure boxing match, But, one punch can change anything, so I am not going to count him out completely. Mayweather is the favorite, yes, but I will never count anyone out. He (McGregor) throws, he throws hard and he’s not afraid to throw,” said Roach. “I like that about him. He’s sell-able, and he makes me laugh. But, when that bell rings he better be ready because he is fighting one of the best boxers of his era.”
Mayweather hasn’t boxed since his 2015 unanimous decision win over Andre Berto where he extended his historic win streak to 49-0. He has remained ‘happily retired’ since the bout but is more than willing to step back into the squared circle if the paycheck is to his liking.
To step into the ring against a young combat sports star such as McGregor, with a left hand that has been the downfall of many of his adversaries, could Floyd be taking an unnecessary risk towards his legacy if he decides to fight the UFC lightweight champ?
The obstacles facing any fighter hoping to achieve fame and fortune in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) are truly daunting. Compiling a consistent winning record and steering clear of serious injuries while waiting for a shot at the big leagues that may never come is hard enough, but with there being almost no
The obstacles facing any fighter hoping to achieve fame and fortune in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) are truly daunting.
Compiling a consistent winning record and steering clear of serious injuries while waiting for a shot at the big leagues that may never come is hard enough, but with there being almost no money in the sport at the regional level, just keeping a roof over their heads can be a constant struggle for any up-and-coming fighter.
With that in mind it’s little wonder that many prospects have given up long before they ever got close to fulfilling their dreams.
Even some of MMA’s biggest stars have found themselves at that same crossroad in their career, and as you’ll read in the pages that follow, in many cases they came alarmingly close to throwing in the towel for good, unaware that success was waiting just around the corner.
Georges St-Pierre, longtime UFC welterweight champion and one of the greatest fighters of all time, is back.
The UFC has never needed St-Pierre more. In his three years away from the sport, two new stars—Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor—have…
Georges St-Pierre, longtime UFC welterweight champion and one of the greatest fighters of all time, is back.
The UFC has never needed St-Pierre more. In his three years away from the sport, two new stars—Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor—have risen. Rousey has since crashed back down to earth, while McGregor is in no hurry to fight in the Octagon after an active 2016, setting his sights instead on a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather.
Jon Jones is on the sidelines until July 2017 following a suspension by the United States Anti-Doping Agency. Anderson Silva, who turns 42 in April, has aged out of stardom. Neither Diaz brother appears to be in any hurry to return. While young fighters like Cody Garbrandt are promising, no new box-office draws have yet emerged to supplement McGregor and replace the old guard.
There are several different routes the UFC could go with St-Pierre in his return, though. Will it point him toward big money or welterweight legitimacy? Bleacher Report’s Steven Rondina and Patrick Wyman discuss.
Steven: I’ve got good and bad news for you, Patrick: Georges St-Pierre is back.
The former (but, really, still-reigning) welterweight champion and the UFC have put their differences aside enough to come together for at least one cash-raking session. That’s either a complete delight or a serious worry for longtime fans.
St-Pierre’s semi-retirement back in 2013 was equal parts nice and depressing. He left with his head up and his waist adorned with a big gold belt, but he also gave fans and pundits a scary audit of the tolls his brain has paid for 11 years in the Octagon.
I think we both agree that, at this point, St-Pierre’s return is a matter of “when” and not “if,” but I’m curious as to how you’re feeling about this. I don’t know if this world of BJ Penn vs. Yair Rodriguezes and Royce Gracie vs. Ken Shamrock 3s has numbed me, but I find myself oddly excited at the prospect of seeing, in my book, the GOAT back in the cage.
Patrick: Since we last saw GSP in the cage, his status as the greatest of all time has only been cemented: Anderson Silva broke his leg, tested positive for PEDs and then had a couple of fights in which it was clear how far he’d fallen, while Fedor Emelianenko has looked every day of his age (40) in a couple of underwhelming outings since returning from his own retirement.
St-Pierre is one of the biggest names in UFC history and, to me, the unquestioned GOAT. With Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey on the sidelines, the UFC has never needed St-Pierre more than it needs him now.
That doesn’t mean they should toss him right back into the welterweight division in the hopes of spicing up a weight class that hasn’t been the same since he left. He could easily slot into a fight with the winner of the upcoming Tyron Woodley-Stephen Thompson rematch for the title or he could fight Michael Bisping for the middleweight title, but I think either would be a waste.
There are other welterweights who deserve a shot at the belt, namely Demian Maia. There are plenty of middleweights who have earned their shot at the crown, including Yoel Romero and Jacare Souza. It makes far more sense to use St-Pierre for exciting, interesting fights that can headline a card and give the halo effect of his stardom to the other fighters out there.
I see two real options: Anderson Silva or a rematch with Nick Diaz. What say you, Steven? Who do you want to see St-Pierre fight?
Steven: Those are two very good options if the UFC wants to go in the “money fight” direction.
Newer fans may not remember it, but before Cris Cyborg vs. Ronda Rousey and Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor, the biggest superfight imaginable in MMA was Silva vs. GSP. Both men ruled their divisions with an iron fist from 2007 to 2013, and both men were interested in the fight at different times.
It never quite came to fruition, of course. The UFC used the fight as leverage against Silva during his “champion fighting on the prelims” years. By the time that ended, GSP had enough power at the bargaining table to demand a bigger cut of the revenue generated by the biggest fight in MMA history, something the UFC wouldn’t acquiesce to.
With both guys in a position to pick their shot, it might be worth dusting this one off.
The same goes for a GSP vs. Diaz 2, though. GSP vs. Diaz 1 was one of the biggest pay-per-views in UFC history and was GSP’s biggest by a solid margin. Both men seem to be angling for the biggest fights possible…and they could certainly do a lot worse than this.
Of course, while GSP vs. Silva and GSP vs. Diaz 2 would both mean big money, I think you’d agree that the biggest money fight for anyone out there is Conor McGregor and the lightweight champion seems to be interested, judging from his recent smack talk.
How interested would you be in a McGregor vs. GSP? And do you think it’s possible?
Patrick: Outside of GSP-Diaz 2 and GSP-Silva, which would be my preference from a narrative perspective, McGregor-GSP is probably the biggest single fight the UFC could possibly make right now.
The real question is whether that fight would be the best use of McGregor and St-Pierre as promotional resources and how it relates to the UFC’s strategy would be moving forward. Is the promotion trying to create the single biggest splash possible at any given time, or does it want to run a succession of profitable, well-received events?
There are arguments to be made for both approaches, but with limited promotional pieces to work with right now, the UFC might be best served to spread out its few marketable stars.
As far as action in the cage is concerned, I’d watch St-Pierre fight just about anyone with great interest. While I don’t especially want to see him in there with prime welterweights like Woodley and Thompson—aging is a real thing and St-Pierre [who turns 36 in May] looked shopworn before he stepped away—fights with other veterans like Diaz and Silva would be competitive and intriguing.
A fight with McGregor would be fascinating for a number of reasons. Could the Irishman find ways to deal with St-Pierre’s size and wrestling skills? Could an aging St-Pierre handle McGregor’s powerful left? I wouldn’t mind learning the answers to those questions.
What’s your preference, Steven? Which fight makes the most promotional and action sense to you?
Steven: I think you’re onto something in saying that the UFC might benefit more from having two big pay-per-view main events than one massive one. The UFC’s plans for on-paper contenders like Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov come into the equation here.
The best move for the promotion (and for ol’ fashioned sporting legitimacy) is to send GSP back in the direction of the welterweight title. It isn’t the biggest cash grab, sure, and his legacy is secure, regardless of whether he can recapture gold. But GSP’s departure killed the credibility and drawing power of the entire 170-pound division, and he could fix it pretty easily.
While Johny Hendricks got a little bit of the rub from being the last man to take a decisive loss to GSP (I will fight you over this), that faded even faster than the rest of his career. Hendricks handed the belt over to Robbie Lawler, and while Lawler’s run as champ made him a darling to hardcore fans, he struggled at the box office.
There’s a little bit of buzz surrounding Woodley and Thompson and, frankly, having GSP face the winner of their UFC 209 fight would legitimize them as champions (lineal titles mean more now than ever before) and give them at least a bit of a bump as PPV draws. And heck, if GSP wins and reclaims the belt, there’s nothing barring him from facing Diaz or McGregor for the welterweight strap down the line.
The matchup that provides the most fun and excitement, though, is just pairing him off with Diaz again. They know how to sell that fight, and Diaz is incapable of being boring in the cage.
Patrick: Not to disagree with your point about St-Pierre bringing sporting legitimacy back to the welterweight division, but is that something the new-look UFC is concerned about? If so, they haven’t made many moves in that direction.
The better argument you made for bringing GSP back to the top of the welterweight division has to do with drawing power. Because he retired on a win, albeit a controversial one, St-Pierre never passed on all the hype and name value he had accrued over the course of his career to a successor.
Even an aged, faded GSP is still the biggest win Woodley or Thompson could hope for. If that’s the fight St-Pierre really wants, I suppose he’s earned the right to try his hand at the title. For the UFC, you’re right—that’s the best-case scenario.
If St-Pierre is looking for something less dangerous to his health and more lucrative for his pocketbook, the bouts with Silva and especially Diaz are the way to go. He has history with both fighters. Even a subpar promoter could spin narrative gold out of his years-long back and forth with either man.
The UFC is at a low ebb right now, its lowest point since the dog days of 2014. Regardless of how they decide to use him, the promotion desperately needs the name value and box-office profile he brings to the table.
Mayweather hasn’t boxed since his 2015 unanimous decision win over Andre Berto where he extended his historic win streak to 49-0. He has remained ‘happily retired’ since the bout but is more than willing to step back into the squared circle if the paycheck is to his liking.