Tag: Robert Whittaker

Quote: GSP Will Return Against Conor McGregor For ‘Biggest Fight In MMA History’

Recently, former UFC middleweight and welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre revealed he would return to MMA if the right opportunity to ‘elevate himself’ arose – even if it was all the way down at 155 pounds. The statement prompted speculation that “GSP” was looking for a lucrative match-up with current UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor, a […]

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Recently, former UFC middleweight and welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre revealed he would return to MMA if the right opportunity to ‘elevate himself’ arose – even if it was all the way down at 155 pounds.

The statement prompted speculation that “GSP” was looking for a lucrative match-up with current UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor, a bout that many, including St-Pierre’s longtime coach Firas Zahabi, touted as potentially the biggest MMA fight of all-time.

But Zahabi then went on record shortly thereafter saying that he didn’t think the fight would actually happen. 

However, there’s a prominent name in MMA who disagrees with that sentiment, and not surprisingly it’s Chael Sonnen. The former UFC title contender recently offered his opinion on his “Beyond the Fight” podcast (via MMA Junkie), stating that St-Pierre will return against McGregor and it will be the biggest fight in history:

“It will be against Conor in what will be the biggest fight in MMA history.”

The decorated MMA great returned from a nearly four-year absence late last year to submit Michael Bisping and win the 185-pound title at November’s UFC 217.

It was one of MMA’s feel-good moments at the time; however, St-Pierre incited a bit of controversy when he vacated the middleweight title shortly thereafter, claiming that he was suffering from colitis due to the increased food intake consumed to fight at 185. Several accused him of picking and choosing his fights – and finding an ‘easy’ one in Bisping – but at this point in his decorated career, it doesn’t seem like he’s trying to hide that fact.

He claimed it wasn’t only because of the money that a fight with McGregor would bring because he’s more focused on furthering his legacy at this point, yet Sonnen wasn’t buying that in the slightest.

According to ‘The American Gangster,’ St-Pierre’s saying the right things and still wants the monster payday a bout versus McGregor brings:

“Conor doesn’t have the belt, and George wants to come back, and George only wants to come back for Conor. And they both want to do this legacy and all this other … a check, guys. That’s what you’re getting in this. Forget about how we think about you in the future, let’s talk about tonight. That’s the fight.”

“Making a statement like, ‘Hey, that does nothing for me,’ that is condescending, it’s rude, it’s mean-spirited, and it’s extremely appropriate if you’re Georges St-Pierre. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t want that fight.”

With McGregor still enjoying his $100 million purse to box Floyd Mayweather last August, his MMA return remains unknown – if he even returns at all.

It’s largely thought he will finally make his first defense against the winner of UFC 223’s Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov main event this April, but nothing feels guaranteed when it comes to McGregor and his ongoing contract talks with the UFC. He’s teased a rematch with Mayweather in the UFC, and there’s little doubt a super fight with St-Pierre would be the most lucrative fight the UFC could book.

But the topic of what weight class it would be at would be a minor hurdle to surpass. Sonnen believes it would be at a new weight of 165 pounds after McGregor supposedly asked the promotion to create a new belt in the class for him to save last weekend’s UFC 222 on short notice:

“I know that George would do it. He’s made that clear. And I also know contrary to what some fans will say about, ‘Well, what wait class? You can only ask Conor to go up so much.’ Georges will go down. Now that it has come out that Conor talked to Dana and wanted to do a 165-pound fight, George will go down to 165. I’ll speak for him. I’ll tell you he for sure will. I’m not speaking for him; he shared that with me. But I will pass it on to you. He will go to 165 if it means Conor.”

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Alexander Gustafsson Reacts To Luke Rockhold’s Recent Threat

Earlier this week, former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold opened up about his reasons for moving up to light heavyweight for his next bout, describing the weight cut to 185 pounds as simply too draining for him as he aged. Rockhold said the cut played a part in him not performing his best during his […]

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Earlier this week, former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold opened up about his reasons for moving up to light heavyweight for his next bout, describing the weight cut to 185 pounds as simply too draining for him as he aged.

Rockhold said the cut played a part in him not performing his best during his recent knockout loss to Yoel Romero at February’s UFC 221, a fight before which he said he spent several hours in a depleted state.

With weight cutting and its effects a hot topic in MMA, Rockhold made the call that many top fighters have recently and will move to a division much more suited to his natural weight. And when he does, he already has a high-profile dance partner waiting for him.

After his loss to Romero, he was surprisingly called out by former two-time light heavyweight title contender Alexander Gustafsson, who lost to Rockhold’s longtime training partner Daniel Cormier at 2015’s UFC 192. The former Strikeforce and UFC 185-pound champ understandably didn’t take too kindly to ‘The Mauler’s’ impromptu callout, saying he was ‘coming for that ass’ earlier this week.

Gustafsson apparently got word of it as well, and he issued a response on Twitter calling Rockhold ‘chinny’ earlier today:

“The Mauler” had previously hinted he may move up weight classes himself to avoid fighting friends and teammates Jimi Manuwa and Ilir Latifi, yet it seems like he’s willing to wait at 205 for Rockhold to make his debut.

There’s little doubt Rockhold would have a significant test on his hands in the top-ranked Gustafsson, who knocked out Glover Teixeira in a scintillating “Fight of the Night”-winning affair last May before undergoing shoulder surgery.

Rockhold has also been linked to a trilogy bout with rival Michael Bisping, who is rumored to be retiring and infamously ripped the title from Rockhold’s hands at UFC 199. But if he’s serious about a move up to light heavyweight, the ‘Mauler’ fight would be an immediate proving ground to find out if it was the weight cut affecting his recent effort.

Is this the best fight to make for Rockhold’s light heavyweight debut?

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Robert Whittaker vs. Yoel Romero 2 in The Works For UFC 225

Robert Whittaker may be prepared to put his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight gold on the line in June. Sources have told MMA News’ very own Damon Martin that plans for a title bout between Whittaker and Yoel Romero have been put …

Robert Whittaker may be prepared to put his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight gold on the line in June. Sources have told MMA News’ very own Damon Martin that plans for a title bout between Whittaker and Yoel Romero have been put in place for UFC 225 on June 9. No contracts have been signed […]

The post Robert Whittaker vs. Yoel Romero 2 in The Works For UFC 225 appeared first on MMA News.

Michael Bisping Denies UFC Is Targeting Luke Rockhold Trilogy Match

Following a third-round knockout loss to Yoel Romero at February’s UFC 221, former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold revealed the UFC was targeting a trilogy match-up with Michael Bisping for his next fight on The MMA Hour yesterday. The booking makes a ton of sense considering the two have fought twice before with each man picking […]

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Following a third-round knockout loss to Yoel Romero at February’s UFC 221, former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold revealed the UFC was targeting a trilogy match-up with Michael Bisping for his next fight on The MMA Hour yesterday.

The booking makes a ton of sense considering the two have fought twice before with each man picking up a victory, but according to “The Count,” who miraculously won the title by knocking Rockhold out cold at 2016’s UFC 199, told MMA Fighting that he hasn’t been offered any such bout.

According to him, Rockhold, who recently signed on as the face of Ralph Lauren’s new cologne, should stick to modeling after two knockout losses in his last three fights:

“I can categorically on the record state that I have not been offered a fight with (Rockhold) on July 7,” Bisping said. “He shouldn’t be so keen to get knocked out again anyway. Stick to modeling. Judging by his last three fights, MMA certainly doesn’t appear his thing anymore.”

Piercing words from Bisping, who has lost his last two fights by stoppage himself after Georges St-Pierre submitted him in November before Kelvin Gastelum brutally knocked him out only three weeks later when he filled in for Anderson Silva at UFC Shanghai.

It’s largely accepted that Bisping has one fight left in his decorated career, and a trilogy match-up with Rockhold would be quite the send-off for the British MMA great.

He’s been linked to retirement fights with Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, and Vitor Belfort, but none of them have come to fruition thus far.

Rockhold insists the UFC is pursuing the fight, but Bisping insists he’s heard nothing of it. Who do you believe?

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Georges St-Pierre Confirms He Could Return At Lightweight

Legendary former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre made one of MMA’s legitimate feel-good moments when he came back from four years off to win the middleweight title from Michael Bisping at last November’s UFC 217 from New York. Questions arose about his chances fighting up a class he’d never competed in before, but St-Pierre answered […]

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Legendary former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre made one of MMA’s legitimate feel-good moments when he came back from four years off to win the middleweight title from Michael Bisping at last November’s UFC 217 from New York.

Questions arose about his chances fighting up a class he’d never competed in before, but St-Pierre answered those with a resounding display of striking and wrestling, perhaps fighting at a level even he had never attained despite being regarded as one of the finest mixed martial artists of all-time.

But that success came with a dire price, and he ultimately had to vacate the 185-pound title when he suffered a bout of colitis from the increased diet he ate in order to keep weight on at middleweight. So he vacated the title hardly a month after he won it, drawing some criticism that he only came back for an ‘easy fight’ in Bisping and never planned on defending the title.

He’s been quiet ever since, yet St-Pierre appeared on The MMA Hour today to discuss his fighting future with Ariel Helwani.

Noting that he could have kept the belt if he really wanted to, he instead chose to let the division move forward instead of costing his fellow athletes a chance to improve their standing:

“I could have kept the title for one year, walked around with and take the sponsors. And I could be in the spotlight, say I’m the champion. The truth is I don’t know, I knew I had a condition, I knew I would probably lose weight because I was forcing myself to eat like crazy; it’s not how I eat,

“I had a lot of water retention, not at my natural weight and it’s not a healthy way of living. The reason I vacated the title is because I did not want to put the division on hold. I didn’t want people to wait for me. Even though I could’ve done it, I didn’t want to be that guy. I have always been very vocal about fights, being for the fighter’s conditions and I didn’t want to be the guy who stalled the division. Because everyone’s trying to make money and a living. That’s why I vacated the title.”

While he won a classic bout in his return, his fighting future was thrust into unsure territory yet again, and that was only further clouded when he said he also didn’t defend the middleweight title because he didn’t know what weight he’d be fighting at when he returned.

In his eyes, it could be at 185 or 170 – or even down at 155 pounds:

“As far as if I will defend it or not, I don’t know where my weight will be when I will get back. Like, I don’t know if I will be 185, or 170, maybe even 155, you know?”

In doing so, he potentially confirmed he would return, something that Helwani asked him about him immediately.

St-Pierre said he would most likely return to fighting after his health improved:

“I think so, I think I will fight again. It just depends on my health condition and everything. It’s too soon to say now, but I feel much better now than what I did after my fight. I always prioritized my health over my performance. And I knew something was wrong with my body, and I don’t feel right in my own skin,”

If he does return, however, he wants it to be for a fight that elevates him even further into the public eye, no easy task based on his prior body of work. After so many high-profile bouts where he was the hunted, he now wants a fight where he has a lot to win as well:

“If I fight, it needs to be something that excites me, something that elevates me. The fight with Michael Bisping was a big risk, but he had the potential to elevate me as a fighter and my legacy,” said St-Pierre. “That’s why I took the fight, it was a great opportunity, a win-win opportunity. I could have lost and it could have been a disaster. But I was confident I put the work in and it would’ve been win-win. I had a lot to win, and a lot to lose. If I come back, there has to be a lot to win for me, not just a lot to lose.”

I’m no psychic, but the talk of a fight where he has ‘a lot to win’ after fighting a whos who of mixed martial arts talent for the past decade coupled with his hint at a move to lightweight could mean he wants one fight – the elusive payday against current UFC lightweight champ Conor McGregor.

McGregor’s tentatively set to come back against the winner of Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223, or maybe he’ll fight Floyd Mayweather in the Octagon, or perhaps he’ll even finish his oft-discussed trilogy with Nate Diaz, making his queue quite full for a man who doesn’t seem in a hurry to fight again.

St-Pierre will have to wait in line, but if he can get it, there’s not much doubt it could be the biggest fight in UFC history.

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Yoel Romero Reveals Why He Kissed Luke Rockhold At UFC 221

Yoel Romero did the strangest thing after knocking out Luke Rockhold at UFC 221. He kissed his defeated foe on the lips moments after the referee called the fight off. Fight fans were at a loss over the kiss, but Romero revealed that Rockhold’s trash talk before the fight was the inspiration for the post-fight […]

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Yoel Romero did the strangest thing after knocking out Luke Rockhold at UFC 221.

He kissed his defeated foe on the lips moments after the referee called the fight off.

Fight fans were at a loss over the kiss, but Romero revealed that Rockhold’s trash talk before the fight was the inspiration for the post-fight loss (MMA Junkie):

“In my country, there’s a code. When you lend a hand to another person, you don’t backstab him. Never. If there’s a situation, and you don’t want to be in trouble, just keep away from it.”

“He was the second person who started talking, and then he actually (invited) me to hang out. When we were hanging out, he asked me, ‘Do you want to fight me?’ And I told him, ‘No, that’s not the question. Do you want to fight me?’ And he said, ‘No,’ so you don’t want to fight with me, I don’t fight you.

“If you don’t want to fight me, move to another division. Or when the UFC says, ‘Do you want to fight Yoel? (You say), ‘No, I don’t want to fight Yoel.’ Call (UFC President Dana (White) and say, ‘He’s my friend, and I won’t want to.

“But you know what? if you have to fight, you need to have respect. I fought Lyoto Machida; I have a great respect for Lyoto Machida. I fought Robert Whittaker; I have a great respect for Lyoto Machida. Because they were always professional. But then when you hang out and (invite) you (to take) a cup of water or fruit or something, and then start doing math. …”

Romero will likely rematch Robert Whittaker for the middleweight belt in the near future as Whittaker heals up from a nasty staph infection.

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