It seems the Georges St-Pierre unfreezing process went exceedingly well. As he emerged from the cold-storage chamber, his musculature, accent and haircut were almost impossibly well-preserved.
Then came the hard part.
In March, with all the stealth he …
It seems the Georges St-Pierre unfreezing process went exceedingly well. As he emerged from the cold-storage chamber, his musculature, accent and haircut were almost impossibly well-preserved.
Then came the hard part.
In March, with all the stealth he could muster, unfrozen GSP slipped into the warmth of the active-fighter pool. Within minutes, a blockbuster bout with middleweight champ Michael Bisping was simmering on the stove. Then it was off. Then it was back on. St-Pierre, for his part, publicly proclaimed he was absolutely game to face Bisping—any time after October.
As everyone puzzled over how to shoehorn unfrozen St-Pierre into a title picture he was never part of to begin with, fresh, never-frozen middleweights grew frustrated over what they viewed as a divisional logjam. UFC brass set up an interim title to ease the pressure.
Ultimately, the match was made. And now it’s here. Saturday at UFC 217, the train lurches into the station right under Madison Square Garden in New York City. Bisping vs. St-Pierre is the main event.
It has been four years since St-Pierre, the greatest welterweight of all time, went into self-imposed exile. Now he’s back, and no one has any idea how to react. Cheering? Cake? Eight months later, it’s still a head-scratcher, and GSP isn’t helping.
In his way, Bisping tried to instill some meaning with a bit of his trademark bad-movie trash talk, mainly stuff about how he thinks GSP is a bad fighter. St-Pierre was never a microphone dynamo, but some after-effects of the unfreezing process were evident in his grimacing and sputtering about how he will do his talking in the cage.
So no help there. Neither is the total mystery over his fighting abilities as a 36-year-old debuting at middleweight. Neither is his name recognition. Formerly a safety net for his charisma shortcomings, his fame as a fighter has diminished with time, and he hasn’t exactly killed himself restoring it since his return.
Yet he’s the welterweight GOAT and is arguably the most fascinating story of the event, though perhaps not for the desired reasons.
That’s saying something because UFC 217 is a pretty fascinating event. Of the 12 scheduled bouts, three are title fights—and the other two might be better, maybe a lot better, than the big one. None of them deserve footnote status, but I had to get some GSP stuff off my chest. Sorry.
Let’s go beyond the headlines for a complete guide to UFC 217.
All betting odds accurate as of Wednesday and courtesy of OddsShark. MMA record information courtesy of Sherdog.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk meets Rose Namajunas at UFC 217, and a victory will tie Joanna Champion with Ronda Rousey with six successful title defenses (she’s also creeping up on Rousey’s total number of days as champion record (1,074).
With such historical im…
Joanna Jedrzejczyk meets Rose Namajunas at UFC 217, and a victory will tie Joanna Champion with Ronda Rousey with six successful title defenses (she’s also creeping up on Rousey’s total number of days as champion record (1,074).
With such historical implications on the line for the Polish striker on the line it’s hard to ignore her place in MMA history. Even though she only debuted in MMA in 2012, and the UFC in 2014, she has vaulted herself into the discussion of the greatest ever.
Steven Rondina joins me in a discussion about Jedrzejczyk’s place in MMA history and where that argument goes if she has another successful title defense on Saturday.
Nathan: Steven, let’s first set the stage of who Jedrzejczyk (14-0) is even competing against for this honor. It’s really just Ronda Rousey and Cris Cyborg? Rousey (12-2) holds the current record for title defenses (6) against a strong slate of opposition that included mind-bending results. Meanwhile, Cyborg (18-1-1) has been a dominant force in MMA for more than a decade. She just lacks the level of opposition as her record is built on the backs of smaller competition. It’s an argument similar to the College Football Playoff: resume vs. eye test.
How’s Joanna Champion stack up before UFC 217 and where does a victory leave her in this discussion following Saturday’s event?
Steven: I could probably bend the truth here and make a case for a number of women’s MMA pioneers.
Japanese star Megumi Fujii was the first true women’s MMA standout, and her 22-0 run from 2004 to 2010 includes names that are still relevant today, like Carla Esparza and Seo-Hee Ham. Amanda Nunes—who crushed Rousey at UFC 207—will end up in the discussion before long, if she can continue holding on to the women’s bantamweight title. Gina Carano gets brushed off by many these days, but she’s a key player in the rise of women’s MMA in the west and wasn’t exactly a slouch in the cage.
We can also talk about “what if” scenarios where the Roxanne Modafferis, Takayo Hashis and Tara Larosas circa 2008 were transported into a future where women’s MMA wasn’t a regional sideshow attraction.
Really, though, you’re right. This is a three-horse race between Rousey, Cyborg and Jedrzejcyk. As with all sports, the competitors of today are bigger, stronger and more technical than the best of ten years ago and that prunes out a lot of the names from yesteryear.
In my opinion, you can already make a strong case for Jedrzejczyk being the greatest female fighter of all time, strictly based on strength of competition. Claudia Gadelha, Jessica Andrade and Karolina Kowalkiewicz are all very good on every level and the other contenders she has beaten aren’t easy outs, either. Adding that “longest reign in women’s UFC history” feather to her cap just cements her claim to that throne.
Nathan: I would agree with you. Fujii is a nice name to add to the discussion for historical perspective, but the evolution of MMA really puts Jedrzejczyk ahead of her on any list without debate.
A victory at UFC 217 will only help her case for being the greatest of all-time, but there will be no doubt if she moves to 125-pounds in 2018 and captures gold. Which is not a leap. She has already shown a keen interest in moving up and it’s where she competed prior to arriving in the UFC. She was never a strawweight (115-pounds) until she made her UFC debut. Flyweight is her natural weight class.
If she becomes a two-division champion then there is no argument to be had. She will be the greatest of all-time without debate. Can she erase all doubt? It will be exceedingly difficult because of the talent level at flyweight including potential kickboxing nemesis Valentina Shevchenko.
Steven, for anyone who may still be new to Jedrzejczyk, which male MMA counterpart could she be likened to as to illustrate her skill level?
Steven: The UFC likes to compare Jedrzejczyk to light heavyweight darling Chuck Liddell and, well, that’s not really accurate because she’s actually a skilled striker while Liddell just kind of punched hard. If I were going to really compare her to anybody, it’d be Anderson Silva.
Both thrive going backwards, like working angles, have great counters and have a savage clinch game. What Jedrzejczyk lacks in kicks and knees, she makes up for in face-ruining elbows. And what she lacks in knockout power, she makes up for with utter brutality.
Nathan: That is an apt comparison even when factoring in Silva’s jiu-jitsu black belt and Jedrzejczyk’s lack of one. And Silva was considered the men’s GOAT for several years until the rise of Jon Jones and Demetrious Johnson.
Jedrzejczyk just turned 30 and is in the midst of her prime which is a scary thought for the women of 115 and 125. She’s already the greatest strawweight and has a case for being the greatest period. She’ll only add to that resume in the coming years.
When Joanna Champion finally decides to hang up her gloves, which we all hope won’t be in the near future, it’s unquestionable that she’ll have carved out her spot in history as the greatest of all-time. She will serve as the standard-bearer for the next generation.
UFC 217 is a few days away and the third episode of Embedded was released on the UFC’s YouTube channel. In the episode, UFC champions visit New York City landmarks as strawweight titleholder Joanna Jedrzejczyk ventures to St. Patrick’s Cathedral and bantamweight king Cody Garbrandt heads to Renzo Gracie Academy. Bantamweight title challenger TJ Dillashaw continues […]
UFC 217 is a few days away and the third episode of Embedded was released on the UFC’s YouTube channel.
In the episode, UFC champions visit New York City landmarks as strawweight titleholder Joanna Jedrzejczyk ventures to St. Patrick’s Cathedral and bantamweight king Cody Garbrandt heads to Renzo Gracie Academy. Bantamweight title challenger TJ Dillashaw continues his training camp in California and gets polished up for the trip to recapture the belt he once held. Middleweight champion Michael Bisping gets coaching advice from autograph seekers, and opponent Georges St-Pierre trains both above water and below. Welterweight Jorge Masvidal, in town to take on Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, first takes in a Knicks game at MSG.
UFC 217 is less than a week away and the second episode of Embedded was released on the UFC’s YouTube channel. In the episode, bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt touches down in New York and begins a shopping spree. Former bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw is joined by head coach Duane Ludwig at his California home. Strawweight champion […]
UFC 217 is less than a week away and the second episode of Embedded was released on the UFC’s YouTube channel.
In the episode, bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt touches down in New York and begins a shopping spree. Former bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw is joined by head coach Duane Ludwig at his California home. Strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk and challenger Rose Namajunas both put in tough training sessions with their respective teams.
Middleweight champion Michael Bisping gets his heart rate by running on the treadmill and talking about his career. His opponent, former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, packs for the trip to New York City and a momentous Octagon return.
Jedrzejczyk is the UFC woman in the limelight right now, she is soaring at the moment and looks close to unstoppable. She can find her way out of any take down and her striking has improved several folds. It is extremely difficult to handle her from near or afar. Not only has she been able […]
Jedrzejczyk is the UFC woman in the limelight right now, she is soaring at the moment and looks close to unstoppable. She can find her way out of any take down and her striking has improved several folds. It is extremely difficult to handle her from near or afar. Not only has she been able to successfully fend off challengers and defend her title five times, but has done so with considerable ease.
This one at UFC Fight Night 217 is an easy prediction. It is highly unlikely that Rose Namajunas can defeat Joanna Jedrzejczyk. It is not about whether Jedrzejczyk will be able to defend her titile, we are pretty sure she can! The question really is how much trouble can Namajunas cause while she is still standing on two feet.
So how good is Namajunas? Well, she is capable of causing some trouble. However, it is only a limited amount of trouble that she can cause. Against, someone like Jedrzejczyk, she might not be able to cause any trouble whatsoever.
Don’t get us wrong, Namajunas is a very talented fighter. She has defeated women such as Paige VanZant and Michelle Waterson.
But, Jedrzejczyk is just too much of an ask right now. Unless Jedrzejczyk for some reasons makes a huge mistake or only relies on grappling (which is Namajunas’ forte) or if Namajunas is able to land a heavy and unexpected blow to cut the fight short, it is highly unlikely that she will be able to come out on top here.
Furthermore, Jedrzejczyk is going to be up to the brim with confidence going into this fight. She has looked invincible recently and she knows how good her form is. Our prediction for this one is going to be Jedrzejczyk to win by unanimous decision.
It’s borderline miraculous that Cris “Cyborg” Justino and Holly Holm appear to be closing in on a women’s featherweight title fight for UFC 219.
Not so long ago, these two women were both down and out, with Justino facing a lengthy doping suspension an…
It’s borderline miraculous that Cris “Cyborg” Justino and Holly Holm appear to be closing in on a women’s featherweight title fight for UFC 219.
Not so long ago, these two women were both down and out, with Justino facing a lengthy doping suspension and Holm reeling from three straight losses. The 145-pound division itself had been so problematic it seemed possible the UFC might scrap the whole thing while it was still in its infancy.
Yet somehow, here we are, with Justino vs. Holm suddenly looming as the biggest women’s MMA bout on the horizon.
If the money is right, both parties have already said they’re game, and Justino is very publicly campaigning for a spot on the company’s end-of-the-year pay-per-view Dec. 30 in Las Vegas.
Not only does this booking represent a complete reversal of fortunes for both Cyborg and Holm, but it’s also a commentary on the state of WMMA—which is slumping toward the end of 2017 right along with the rest of the UFC.
Back when Ronda Rousey reigned as women’s bantamweight champ from 2013-15, there was no more vibrant storyline than the arrival of women in the Octagon. Rousey was the promotion’s biggest star and her popularity put the UFC’s female fighters on equal footing with the men, a rarity in professional sports.
Following her absence after back-to-back losses, however, women’s MMA finds itself without a focal point and therefore on uncharacteristically shaky promotional ground.
New 135-pound champ Amanda Nunes has given her division a modicum of stability, but the bantamweight hasn’t yet connected with a large portion of UFC fans. Add in her last-minute withdrawal from UFC 213 and a questionable split decision win over Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 215 this month, and Nunes has ways to go before establishing herself as a reliable drawing card.
At strawweight, Joanna Jedrzejczyk continues to be unstoppable and a favorite of the hardcore MMA set. Her impending bout against Rose Namajunas will be a crackerjack, but it will take third-tier billing on a jam-packed UFC 217 card on Nov. 4.
Meanwhile, the women’s flyweight division is still a work in progress. The ongoing Season 26 of The Ultimate Fighter aims to crown the UFC’s first women’s 125-pound champion, but it remains unclear how viable that division will ultimately be—or whether Jedrzejczyk will merely add its title to her already impressive collection.
That unexpectedly leaves Justino and Holm—perhaps two of the only proven draws left in WMMA—to carry much of the load.
But turn back the clock a year or so and that was certainly not the way things were trending.
Holm’s loss of the women’s bantamweight title to Miesha Tate at UFC 196 touched off a lengthy and difficult stretch for her. She dropped her next fight to Shevchenko in July 2016, then a third straight to Germaine de Randamie at UFC 208 in June.
The losing streak effectively squandered the momentum Holm had established upon arriving in the UFC, when she notched a pair of wins and shocked the world by knocking out Rousey at UFC 193.
At the same time, her relationship with her UFC bosses appeared strained. In March 2016, White blasted Holm’s longtime manager, Lenny Fresquez, as “an old boxing guy who thinks he’s smart and he isn’t” (via MMA Fighting’s David St. Martin) for putting her into the fight with Tate in the first place.
Already 35 years old, it’s clear Holm needs to act fast to preserve her status as a top-level UFC star.
Justino’s on-again, off-again feuds with company brass have also been well-documented.
Long regarded as one of the best fighters in MMA, Justino was already the former Strikeforce and current Invicta FC featherweight champ when she landed an overdue UFC contract in March 2015.
Prior to that, she had publicly beefed both with White and Rousey. A bout between Rousey and Justino was a frequent topic of internet speculation but never seemed close to fruition.
Even after officially joining the UFC, things didn’t go all that smoothly for Cyborg.
For starters, since the UFC didn’t yet have a featherweight division—which would have been Justino’s natural landing spot—her first two bouts were contested at 140-pound catchweights. Then, when the organization finally did institute the 145-pound class, it couldn’t come to terms with her in time for its inaugural title fight.
Instead, the UFC put the championship on De Randamie after she edged Holm via decision.
To make matters even more circuitous, Cyborg failed a drug test in December 2016. The transgression threatened to sidetrack her for up to two years, until the UFC and U.S. Anti-Doping Agency retroactively granted her a therapeutic use exemption for a banned diuretic and wiped away the suspension.
After that, it was all systems go. The UFC stripped De Randamie in June due to her unwillingness to defend the title against Cyborg. Justino then defeated Tonya Evinger for the vacant belt at UFC 214 and now stands poised to take her place as one of the UFC’s more marketable champions.
Just as quickly, Holm revitalized her own career with a head-kick knockout of Bethe Correia three months ago. The victory abruptly made her the consensus No. 1 contender in both the bantamweight and featherweight divisions—and it’s Justino that makes the most sense as an opponent.
Justino has duly established herself as the most fearsome woman on the planet, but it has been a long time since she has faces truly elite competition. Holm will certainly fit the bill in that regard, as a former UFC champ and a decorated striker in her own right.
Cyborg is known as an aggressive knockout artist and Holm is at her best against opponents who bring the fight straight to her. Stylistically, it couldn’t be much better.
More importantly, both fighters possess notable fan followings and their bout should move the needle more than anything Nunes or Jedrzejczyk could come up with at this point.
In a year when the UFC has struggled to book big fights, the best option available at the moment is to book this all-star matchup for the 145-pound title.
That means giving fans Cyborg vs. Holm before the end of 2017.
