On Wednesday, UFC president Dana White announced that comebacking Georges St-Pierre’s first fight will be for the middleweight title against Michael Bisping. While no date has yet been set for the proverbial super fight, the question that has risen from this latest development is the kind of direction the new ownership group is taking when it comes to making fights.
As pointed out by MMA Fighting, the dynamic of the way the UFC does business has changed since WME-IMG took over from the Fertittas, with emphasis on “money fights” as opposed to giving deserving fighters a clear ladder to climb on their way up the title. Middleweight contender Yoel Romero has long been eyed as the challenger to Michael Bisping’s middleweight belt, but the return of superstar Georges St-Pierre put a hold to that plan.
As noted by MMA Junkie, there were mixed reactions from the MMA world following the announcement of the Michael Bisping – Georges St-Pierre fight, with some expectedly excited for the return of St-Pierre, while others critical of the direction the “new” UFC is taking. “GSP-Bisping is not a sport killer. The issue is a) what it reveals about WME’s priorities & b) what events/practices it gives birth to,” tweeted MMA pundit Luke Thomas.
WME-IMG took on more than $1.8 billion in debt to make the $4.2 billion purchase of the UFC last year. And while 2016 was a banner year for the UFC, few believe that its success would be duplicated this year, with megastars like Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey taking a hiatus from the Octagon. The absence of stars should make matchups like Michael Bisping vs. Georges St-Pierre the norm, instead of matchups like Tyron Woodley vs. Damian Maia.
Dana White said that they are looking to schedule the fight in the second half of 2017. He also revealed that the plan is to make the fight in Las Vegas and not in Canada. According to Ariel Helwani, there will be a presser with Michael Bisping and Georges St-Pierre on Friday, right before UFC 209.
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