Former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre will return to the Octagon later this year to challenge middleweight champion Michael Bisping. It’s a match-up that has ruffled the feathers of 185-pound contenders.
Fifth-ranked Gegard Mousasi doesn’t think the UFC should have put the fight together.
“GSP and Michael Bisping, of course they’re going to take the fight because it’s a good fight for them. The UFC should not make those fights. If they want to make a superfight, make Anderson Silva against GSP. Don’t make GSP against Michael Bisping. (St-Pierre) hasn’t fought for three years and never fought at middleweight for the belt,” he told MMAWeekly.com. “Where’s the honesty in that for the number one contender?”
Middleweight contenders either have to sit on the shelf and wait, or accept another fight and risk losing their place in the 185-pound pecking order.
“You need luck to get the title shot. Some people even got the title shot after they were coming off a loss. GSP is coming after a three-year absence. He’s fighting for the belt. If they hadn’t made the fight with Dan Henderson, Yoel Romero would have probably fought for the belt. Jacare Souza would have been able to fight about now, and after me against Chris Weidman, it could have been me. But because of that, everyone has to take another fight, take another risk of putting everything on the line before they even get the title shot. It’s not fair,” said Mousasi.
If St-Pierre defeats Bisping, Mousasi expects him to immediately vacate the title. He doesn’t see the Canadian defending the belt against the top contenders, but predicts that St-Pierre will beat Bisping.
“If GSP wins, he vacates the title. And I believe he’s the better fighter than Michael Bisping. But after being absent for three years, you don’t know what kind of GSP is going to show up. But knowing GSP, he will show up,” he said.
“I’d give him the better chance at winning, but if he wins, he vacates the title. It’s as simple as that. He’s not going to fight Yoel Romero. He’s not going to fight Luke Rockhold. He’s not going to fight me. He’s not going to fight Jacare. That’s a killer’s streak. He’s going to win and he’s going to vacate it.”
