Kenny Florian: Scoring controversy taking away from St-Pierre-Hendricks classic at UFC 167

It’s going to be a while before MMA fans and analysts stop talking about Saturday’s UFC 167 main event.

UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre defended his welterweight title with a split-decision win over Johny Hendricks. To say the result was a controversial one may be a bit of an understatement. Every major media outlet scored the fight 48-47 for Hendricks. And there has been a smattering of people – UFC President Dana White included – who believed Hendricks had won the fight 49-46, four rounds to one.

But St-Pierre retained the belt, and the champ had a few people in his corner afterward, as well. Among them is UFC analyst Kenny Florian.

Florian, a former lightweight and featherweight title challenger, thought St-Pierre won the first, third and fifth rounds – the same rounds judges Sal D’Amato and Tony Weeks scored for the champ, who he spent some time training with at Montreal’s Tristar Gym in the past.

“Everyone’s been saying I”m crazy and I’m biased,” Florian told MMAjunkie Radio. “Now, I could be a little bit biased – obviously this is my former training partner and my buddy, and I always do my best to try to take away that bias.”

Florian said the first round was the closest watching it in person – but that he wants to watch the fight again.

“Watching it live, I feel like the controversial round is the first round, and I had it for ‘GSP,’” the retired fighter said. “I want to watch it with no distractions – volume off, all that. It can change your perspective. But I had it 1, 3 and 5 for GSP. That’s the way I had it when I called it live.

“It’s so difficult watching it live. It’s a difficult, difficult thing. The first was close, and the third round, Johny got that takedown. Georges was able to get back to his feet. But I think the fight statistics show the first round was the closest. They each got a takedown. But I’m glad I’m not a judge, let’s put it that way.”

But the worst part of the whole thing, in Florian’s opinion, is that the controversy behind who won and who should have won is taking away from what he believes was a great fight.

“You knew something big was going to happen. It just kind of had that feel in the arena,” he said. “It was such an amazing fight that I feel like the controversy over the decision is taking away from how great of a championship fight that was and how great of a night that was. … Both men performed like champions in this one, and both men were truly, truly tested.”

After the fight, St-Pierre said he needed to step away from the sport for a while to tend to personal matters. rumors have swirled as to what those matters might be. But at the post-event news conference, White said there will be a rematch.

We don’t know when that fight will take place, precisely. But despite St-Pierre’s success in rematches – he avenged both of his losses to Matt Hughes and Matt Serra and has a second win over Josh Koscheck – Florian believes Hendricks might be the kind of fighter who can snap that streak. (And snap it again, if you’re in the camp that believes Hendricks was the rightful winner on Saturday.)

“‘GSP’ has never lost a rematch. He’s a very difficult guy to beat in a rematch,” Florian said. “But based on how Johny Hendricks performed, I think Johny has a huge advantage heading into this fight if they do fight a second time. Georges will really have to make some huge adjustments.”

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia, MMAjunkie lead staff reporter John Morgan and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.