Video: Hendricks to St-Pierre: ‘If you can’t handle the stress of being champ, give it up’

A week later, everyone’s still talking about Georges St-Pierre‘s win over Johny Hendricks.

But people are talking about what comes next – and when it will come – as much as they are talking about who they believe won the fight.

St-Pierre, of course, won by split decision in the UFC 167 main event in Las Vegas. (And if you want a look back at the highlights again, we have them for you.)

But from the sounds of the crowd at MGM Grand Garden Arena, and from the reaction on social media, the majority of observers believe Hendricks should’ve left Sin City with the welterweight title.

After the fight, St-Pierre told Joe Rogan he needed some time away. He reiterated that at the post-event news conference, much to the dismay of UFC President Dana White, who scored the fight four rounds to one for Hendricks and wanted to put together a rematch for as soon as the two were ready.

With St-Pierre taking some time off to heal up, as well as deal with the personal issues he would not elaborate on after the fight – but still have created a swirl of rumors – a time table for that rematch is up in the air.

Hendricks, however, might be ready to go today, if he was allowed.

On Friday, Hendricks, his fight beard now reduced to a thick layer of stubble, told Ron Kruck of AXS TV’s “Inside MMA” that St-Pierre needing some time away to deal with life issues is not an excuse he’s ready to accept, and he challenged St-Pierre’s comment that those life issues were causing him a lack of sleep.

“Dude I’ve got three kids. You know what I’m saying? Talk about sleep? Are you kidding me?” Hendricks said. “Everybody’s got problems in life. That’s the way that it is. If you can’t handle the stress of being champion, give it up. We chose to get into that octagon. We chose not to sleep. I don’t know how many times I went to bed at 5, 6 o’clock in the morning, waking up at 10, running four miles because I wanted to beat GSP that bad. Dude, who cares? I chose that life. Tell yourself whatever you need to. Just get back in that octagon with me, and I can’t wait for the rematch.”

White spoke with St-Pierre following UFC 167s’ post-fight press conference, then returned to meet with media members this past Saturday. He reported then that St-Pierre’s troubles were not as bad as he was making them out to be, and that he was confident the rematch would happen sooner than “GSP” seemed to indicate immediately after the fight.

Just how soon remains to be seen, but the UFC’s welterweight title picture will remain the same as it has been for a while – with St-Pierre continuing to reign over the division, and Hendricks waiting in the wings to find out when he gets his chance again.

For complete coverage of UFC 167, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.