MMA News

Tag: Georges St. Pierre

  • Archives: Hendricks: ‘I Wish GSP Would’ve Stayed Out’ Of MMA (2017)

    On November 16, 2013, Georges St-Pierre earned what was widely considered to be the narrowest, most hard-earned victory of his career when he defeated Johny Hendricks via split decision at UFC 167. After this bout, GSP walked away from the sport, and it appeared as though we had likely seen the welterweight great compete for the last time in MMA.

    As we later found out, St-Pierre would return four years later when he claimed the middleweight title from Michael Bisping. Prior to St-Pierre making the walk again, it was uncertain who he would be facing upon his return. If it were up to Johny Hendricks, there wouldn’t have been another opponent at all.

    The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    On This Day Five Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 27, 2017, 6:21 PM]

    Headline: Johny Hendricks: ‘I Wish GSP Would’ve Stayed Out’ of MMA Competition

    Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.

    One person who isn’t very excited to see the return of Georges St-Pierre is Johny Hendricks.

    Hendricks is fresh off his unanimous decision victory over Hector Lombard last Sunday night (Feb. 19) inside the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was “Bigg Rigg’s” middleweight debut. Hendricks hasn’t made the top 15 in the official Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 185-pound rankings yet, but he may be one win away from changing that.

    Upon hearing the news of St-Pierre’s professional mixed martial arts (MMA) return, Hendricks didn’t sound too enthusiastic. Hendricks competed against “Rush” back in Nov. 2013 for the welterweight championship. St-Pierre retained his title by a controversial split decision win. He then went on a hiatus, vacating his title in the process.

    Since that time, Hendricks has won the 170-pound title. He has also gone 3-4 in his last seven fights, losing the title to Robbie Lawler in that time.

    On today’s (Feb. 27) edition of “The MMA Hour” (via MMAMania.com), Hendricks revealed he doesn’t necessarily agree with St-Pierre’s decision to come back:

    “I am (surprised to see him back), I wish he would’ve stayed out. But you know what, a competitor is always going to be a competitor and we’ll see how he comes back. I heard he might be coming to 185, so you know I do (want a piece of him). So like I went through my rough period, and I did something and was able to bounce back. Whenever he went through his rough period, he got out. Yeah, you can train, yeah you could do these things, but has he done enough to where he is going to be able to come back a different fighter?”

    An opponent, date, and venue have not been announced for “Rush’s” comeback fight. His coach, Firas Zahabi, hopes his fighter is eyeing big fights with UFC lightweight king Conor McGregor and middleweight title holder Michael Bisping.

  • Georges St-Pierre Recently Settled A Coffee Debt With McDonald’s

    Georges St-Pierre paid back the money he owed McDonald’s for a coffee he “begged” for earlier in the week.

    During his reign in the UFC, GSP was an almost unstoppable force. He is known as one of the greatest fighters to grace the octagon.

    GSP is a former two-division champion, holding titles in both the middleweight and welterweight divisions. In addition, he is a former three-time welterweight champion in the UFC.

    St-Pierre left the UFC on a 13-fight win streak and as the welterweight champion. He suffered only two losses in his 28-fight professional MMA career, and he won the rematches for both.

    With such an exemplary career, GSP was undoubtedly one of the promotion’s most lucrative fighters. He took home millions of dollars and made more outside of the cage.

    Certainly, a McDonald’s coffee won’t break the bank, right?

    “I always pay back my debt,” GSP wrote as the caption for the Instagram video explaining the story.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CaKlOP_Fh_u/

    “Earlier this week I’m going to the McDonald’s to order a vanilla coffee. And after I ordered it I realized that I forgot my wallet at home. So when it’s time to pay I look down and because I have no wallet I have like four dollars and a change. The woman looks at me and goes Hey, you’re Georges St Pierre and you’re begging for coffee. I was like yes it was freaking embarrassing and yeah now I have to go back and pay my debt,” said GSP (via Sports Manor).

    As one of the most likable MMA fighters to ever grace the Octagon, it’s no shock the cashier was willing to give him the coffee. But returning to repay the debt certainly solidifies the good nature of the Canadian native.

    What are your thoughts on Georges St. Pierre paying off a coffee debt to McDonald’s?

  • Archives: Whittaker Addresses Not Fighting GSP For MW Title (2018)

    Tonight, Robert Whittaker will have an opportunity to recapture middleweight gold when he faces Israel Adesanya at UFC 271. This chance at redemption for Whittaker after getting starched in their initial bout three years ago is something “The Reaper” has no doubt fantasized about.

    Another fantasy bout for Whittaker would have been against one of his three favorite fighters of all time, Georges St-Pierre. In this article from four years ago, Whittaker discussed GSP not fighting him after St-Pierre captured the title from Michael Bisping in 2017.

    The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 9, 2018, 7:08 PM]

    Headline: Whittaker Addresses Not Fighting Georges St-Pierre For Middleweight Title

    UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has sounded off on Georges St-Pierre not fighting him.

    St-Pierre returned to competition in November after four years away from the sport to win the middleweight title with a submission victory in the third round over Michael Bisping at UFC 217.

    The win made St-Pierre just the fourth fighter in UFC history to win titles in two divisions. He now joins Randy Couture, B.J. Penn, and Conor McGregor.

    Shortly after the fight, it was announced that GSP had vacated the title and the promotion awarded interim champion Whittaker the actual championship. Now, GSP is on the sidelines as he deals with colitis.

    “I felt like the champion well before they came out and said it,” Whittaker said this week on The MMA Hour. “I think a lot of the middleweight division considered me the champion well before they came out and said it. The middleweight division was in a funny spot for a long time, with just the way things were panning out, who was fighting who, all these fighters that were coming out of left field. Like, there were matchups — they’re all funny, let’s just say they’re funny.

    “And in my opinion, the rankings and the division, the way it should work is you have your champ, you have your No. 1, your No. 2, and the champ fights one, two fights one, three fights two, and you work your way up like that. And I just feel like, with Georges getting in there and proving to everyone the caliber of fighter he is, and that he can still get in there and do what he’s supposed to do, and the belt coming to me after I fought my way through some tough guys, the best in the division — I feel this is like a return to normalcy.”

    No doubt the biggest fight that Whittaker could’ve taken right now would be against St-Pierre due to the fact that he’s one of the biggest draws in the history of the sport.

    “I was split,” Whittaker said. “It was hard. I thought maybe if we fought in Montreal, we get a big pay-per-view, [St-Pierre] may want to fight me, because realistically, he doesn’t have too much to lose with that fight. But, yeah, there was always that part of me that thought, ‘No, there’s no way he’s going to take that fight with me.’ It’s a hard fight for anyone on any given day. And like he showed and he said, it’s not his division. He’s not built for the division the way that I am or other middleweights are, so it was hard for him to get up to the weight and to utilize that weight properly.

    “I always knew there was a very big chance he was just going to take off and not fight,” Whittaker added. “I was just hoping he wouldn’t take another fight on the sidelines and just hold up the division once again.”

    What are your thoughts on the promotion not booking this fight? Sound off in the comment section below. 

  • Archives: Bisping Wants GSP & Romero Fights Before Retirement (2017)

    After the following article was published, Michael Bisping had two more matches in his MMA career: Georges St-Pierre and Kelvin Gastelum. It wasn’t the “perfect scenario” he had mapped out, especially considering that he lost both bouts, but you can relive how Bisping envisioned his career winding down in the following article published on this day five years ago, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    On This Day Five Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 30, 2017, 12:26 PM]

    Headline: Bisping: Fighting GSP & Romero Would Be ‘Perfect Scenario’ Before Retirement

    Author: Fernando Quiles Jr

    Michael Bisping isn’t getting any younger.

    The current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight titleholder will be 38 years of age before his next title defense. “The Count” is currently out with a knee injury and won’t be back until at least May.

    With all that he has accomplished, it’s easy to see Bisping as a future UFC Hall of Famer. Before the champion goes, he wants mega fights that are the most lucrative. On his SiriusXM show, “The Countdown” (via Flo Combat), Bisping reiterated his desire for a “big money fight” or two:

    “I said I want to be a part of the biggest fights possible. Whether that’s Yoel Romero, Georges St-Pierre or whether that’s Jacare [Souza] or Anderson Silva, I just want to be a part of the biggest fights ever earning as much money as possible.”

    One would think the potential match-up that would make the most money is one with Georges St. Pierre. “Rush” left the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) with nine straight successful title defenses. He was also the UFC’s most consistent pay-per-view (PPV) draw during his run.

    “The Count” insists that he doesn’t care who his next opponent is, as long as he brings in the cash.

    “We will get the surgery out the way and when it’s done, it’s done and then I’ll fight Yoel Romero if I have to and I’ll whip his ass and if it’s GSP I’ll whip his ass. I just want the biggest fight possible on the biggest fight card possible.”

    It isn’t crazy to think Bisping may get his wish. He has been a mainstay with the promotion since 2006 and his body has been put through the wringer. The ideal set of circumstances would be for the champion to face “GSP,” then Romero to close his career.

    “Yes, that would be the perfect scenario.”

  • GSP’s Coach Accuses Schools of “Feminizing Men” With LGBTQ Material

    Firas Zahabi, coach of UFC Hall of Famer Georges St-Pierre, is accusing schools of attempting to “feminize our men.”

    Best known for his leadership of TriStar gym and as GSP’s head coach, Firas Zahabi has always been an outspoken individual. He would continue this characteristic with high amplitude in some recent remarks made about the curriculum of his son’s school.

    According to Zahabi, his son’s exposure to LGBTQ-related material is an example of schools, or society as a whole, attempting to emasculate men (transcription via Bloody Elbow).

    “It’s become encouraged now to feminize men,” Zahabi said during an episode of The 3Muslims podcast (h/t r/MMAPoliticsAndCulture).

    Zahabi would then share a story in an attempt to illustrate his point. According to the MMA coach, a movie featuring a homosexual couple was played in his son’s classroom. His son found humor in the situation, but Zahabi was unamused.

    “One of my sons, on Valentine’s Day, they showed him a movie about one guy falling in love with another. My kids, they’re open books—so my son is like, ‘I watched this movie and two guys were kissing each other so me and my friend were laughing and everybody got angry with us. They were telling me it’s normal, it’s normal.’

    Firas Zahabi
    Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

    “The teacher was telling my son, it’s ok [to be gay]. Well, that’s pretty weird, man. Kids haven’t even gotten through puberty yet. I send my kid to school to math, science, history, philosophy, ethics…the basics. Why are you showing them on Valentine’s Day, a story about a man with another man?”

    Zahabi would then express that he and his family have no issue acknowledging the existence of homosexuals. However, when it comes to the Zahabi household, the MMA coach gave his son an assignment to personally deliver to his teacher the next time he arrives in that classroom.

    “Now listen, there are gay people in the world. I tell my kids that there are gay people. You will see them. But we are not gay. That is what I told them, straight up, and I’m not ashamed. I told them ‘tell your teacher you’re heterosexual, and if he has a problem with that, to call me.”

    Coach Firas Zahabi continues to run the TriStar Gym, as he has since he purchased the gym in 2008. Aside from GSP, some other notable fighters to train at TrisStar on a full-time basis include Rory MacDonald, Kenny Florian, Johnny Walker, and Arnold Allen.

    What is your reaction to these comments from Firas Zahabi?

  • Archives: Dustin Poirier Shuts Down Idea of GSP Skipping LW Line (2018)

    Tonight at UFC 269, Dustin Poirier will not have to worry about anyone skipping the line. He will have a second chance at undisputed lightweight gold when he challenges Charles Oliveira. Three years ago, however, things were much less certain. So much so that there were even rumblings of Georges St-Pierre himself potentially looking to win a world title in a third division. However, Poirier was having none of it.

    The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AUGUST 6, 2018, 3:54 PM]

    Headline: Dustin Poirier Shuts Down Idea of GSP Skipping Lightweight Line

    Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.

    Dustin Poirier shuts down the thought of Georges St-Pierre getting a title shot before he does.

    Poirier is set to do battle with Nate Diaz at UFC 230 on Nov. 3. “The Diamond” is coming off a second-round TKO victory over former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez. Poirier has now gone 4-0, 1 NC in his last five outings. Meanwhile, Diaz will be stepping inside the Octagon for the first time since Aug. 2016.

    Dustin Poirier Shuts Down GSP

    St-Pierre recently expressed his desire to fight the winner of Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor. Nurmagomedov will defend his title against McGregor in the main event of UFC 229 on Oct. 6. During a recent appearance on MMAFighting.com‘s “The MMA Hour,” Poirier said St-Pierre will not get a title shot before he does:

    “Nah, it’s not happening. Look, after I beat Nate Diaz, I’m fighting for the belt. Or I’m fighting GSP, but he’s not going to get [a title shot] before I do.”

    St-Pierre has jumped the line before. Despite having not competed in four years and never fighting at middleweight, St-Pierre challenged Michael Bisping for the 185-pound title at UFC 217. GSP won the bout via submission and vacated his gold the following month.

    UFC 230 will feature a middleweight tilt between Jacare Souza and David Branch. Another 185-pound bout is in the works for the card. The UFC is trying to put together Luke Rockhold vs. Chris Weidman II. UFC 230 takes place inside Madison Square Garden in New York City. The card doesn’t have a main event yet.

    Do you think Dustin Poirier will get his shot if he beats Nate Diaz?

  • Georges St-Pierre Explains Why He Thinks Edwards Was Denied Title Shot

    Georges St-Pierre has given his thoughts on the landscape of the UFC welterweight division.

    The state of the UFC welterweight division is far from black and white at the moment. A few different scenarios have been going around lately and with a few fighters injured things could be up in the air for a while longer. One man who ruled the top of the division some time ago has his thoughts on how things should play out, that man is Georges St-Pierre.

    St-Pierre is currently retired and has a unique view of the division from the outside. He feels that number one contender Leon Edwards should be next for the title shot. he explained his reasoning behind these thoughts in an interview with BT Sports.

    “He deserves the shot. It’s unfortunate for him [that he hasn’t had it yet]. I think it’s because of the way that the Nate Diaz fight ended,” St-Pierre said. “But it happens to everybody, sometimes you get clipped. You don’t see a punch coming, you zig when you should have zagged. He did the perfect fight until that moment.”

    Champion Kamaru Usman recently defeated Colby Covington, and will need some time off with family and to heal up. In the meantime, Edwards was scheduled to face Jorge Masvidal, but that fight fell through when Masvidal suffered an injury. This leaves Edwards in a tough place. He could very well wait until Usman is ready and then get that title shot, or he could fight someone else and possibly lose out.

    “He deserves a shot, you know. You’re in the fight business, at one point you’re going to take a shot and you might get rocked. He showed incredible heart and I think he is ready for a title shot,” St-Pierre said. “But the UFC runs a business, they make money. Of course, there’s a story with Leon and [Jorge] Masvidal and as a fan, I’m curious to see what was going to happen between them as well.”

    Dana White has said that he and the UFC are looking to make something happen for Edwards. He wasn’t specific but it could be another matchup for a title eliminator matchup. The timeline for Usman’s return was not specified, but Edwards has been known to sit out for long periods of time.

    Do you agree with GSP, should Leon Edwards just get the next title shot without another fight?