Legendary Return At UFC 300 Would Be A Perfect Fit
SI’s MMA Notes, Quotes, and Anecdotes runs every Monday.
GSP would be perfect for UFC 300
Georges St-Pierre was supposed to return this month for a submission grappling bout against Nate Diaz, which was called off.
Could a more high-profile fight be in his future?
Courtesy Zuffa LLC
St-Pierre is a UFC Hall of Famer. He is also still in excellent shape. A return to the cage against welterweight champion Leon Edwards would add a must-see bout to UFC 300, which UFC CEO Dana White has said will feature an outstanding card.
St-Pierre’s last bout took place in 2017 when he defeated Michael Bisping for the middleweight title. Even more remarkable is, prior to that victory, he had not competed in four years.
Now 42, St-Pierre remains the greatest welterweight champion in UFC history. A two-time holder of the belt, he set a record by successfully defending the belt nine times during his second title reign. He voluntarily vacated the title in 2013, which is also what happened after winning the middleweight title. Yet a return from St-Pierre, especially in a bout against Edwards, should outweigh any concern of this comeback lasting for only one fight.
Edwards already expressed his willingness to fight at UFC 300 this April, but he is in need of an opponent. Belal Muhammad is a possibility, though there are concerns internally that he is not a significant enough draw for the belt. Shavkat Rakhmonov is also a contender, but he needs one more noteworthy win against someone like Colby Covington before receiving a title shot.
For Edwards, no better opponent exists than the greatest of all-time. A victory against St-Pierre would immediately enhance his status, drawing far more attention to his next title defense. Or, if GSP won, it would mark one of the best returns in MMA history.
UFC 300 needs a memorable card. GSP should be part of it.
To the victor – not the loser – go the spoils
I have to nitpick the end of UFC 296.
Leon Edwards defeated Colby Covington by unanimous decision in the main event, clearly winning four of the five rounds en route to his second straight successful welterweight title defense. Joe Rogan then interviewed Edwards, who articulated why the victory was so meaningful.
After Edwards finished speaking, Rogan interviewed Covington. And that begs the question: why should the loser of the fight get the final word?
Courtesy Zuffa LLC
This isn’t the first time this has happened. The extra interview provides an additional moment of intrigue for the fans in the crowd and viewers on pay-per-view, but it is also one of those situations that simply does not happen in other sports. How can you give the final word to the competitor that just lost?
An easy solution is to have Megan Olivi interview the loser of the main event backstage. The interview in the cage belongs to the winner, and it is not a moment that should be shared.
Tony Ferguson looks finished, even if he hasn’t recognized it
Does anyone else get the feeling Tony Ferguson is not finished fighting?
Courtesy Zuffa LLC
A UFC legend, Ferguson suffered his seventh straight loss this past Saturday when Paddy Pimblett defeated him by unanimous decision. This streak comes after Ferguson had won a dozen straight fights, which was a stretch of time where he looked unstoppable and appeared to be the only man capable of stopping Khabib Nurmagomedov. Clearly, a lot has changed.
The last time Ferguson had his hand raised in the cage was June of 2019. When he defeated Donald Cerrone, it would have been impossible to predict that he would then go winless in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, yet that is exactly where we are.
Retirement should be imminent for Ferguson, who turns 40 in February. But the same defiance that made him unstoppable in the cage is likely keeping him active. Dana White mentioned in the post-296 press conference that he believes Ferguson should retire, but it feels much more likely he will be headlining a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship card next year against Mike Perry.
The losses don’t diminish Ferguson’s legend, though it does cause concern for what is looming in his future.
