Interim middleweight champion Robert Whittaker will be watching Saturday’s UFC 217 main event closely. The 26-year-old won the interim belt at UFC 213 in July by defeating Yoel Romero by unanimous decision. He’s been sidelined with a knee injury, but will be fighting to unify the belts when he returns in 2018, possibly when the UFC makes its debut in Perth, Western Australia.
With Whittaker on the mend, champion Michael Bisping faces former welterweight titleholder Georges St-Pierre this weekend at UFC 217 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
St-Pierre will be returning to the Octagon for the first time since November of 2013, when he took a split-decision nod over Johny Hendricks, who also fights on the UFC 217 card. GSP walked away from fighting after his record-setting ninth title defense. He hasn’t tasted defeat since 2007, but he’s never competed in the 185-pound division.
Bisping has only defended the belt once, defeating Dan Henderson in the former dual-division Pride champion’s swan song. He’s taken a lot of heat from the rest of the division for not having put the belt on the line against a top 185-pound contender, yet, but he wouldn’t pass up the opportunity for a “legacy fight” with St-Pierre.
Whittaker shares his thoughts on the main event of UFC 217 between Bisping and St-Pierre.
(Courtesy of UFC)
Tune in to MMAWeekly.com on Saturday, Nov. 4, for full UFC 217: Bisping vs. St-Pierre Live Results and Fight Stats. The main event features Michael Bisping vs. Georges St-Pierre. In other title bouts, bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt squares off with former teammate TJ Dillashaw, and strawweight terror Joanna Jedrzejczyk aims to tie Ronda Rousey‘s women’s title defense record in a battle with Rose Namajunas.
