If you were hoping for the return of Georges Saint-Pierre at UFC 206 in Toronto, Canada then I’m afraid we’ve got some bad news as UFC President Dana White as nixed it indefinitely.
It’s been arguably the biggest will he, won’t he question for months. Georges Saint-Pierre, one of the greatest welterweight champions of all time, made his intentions well known; he wanted to return to the UFC. When the promotion announced a date in Toronto for UFC 206, it seemed inevitable that the Canadian king and all round box office superstar, GSP, would once again make that walk to the Octagon and headline a UFC pay-per-view.
Unfortunately that is now not going to happen. As Dana White told Fox Sports 1’s ‘Jay and Dan’, GSP apparently isn’t mentally fit to return to action.
“‘GSP’s’ not fighting in Toronto,” White said. “I don’t think he does (fight again). There’s a certain mentality you have to have to be a fighter, and Georges St-Pierre hasn’t had that mentality for a long time. And sometimes that’s not a bad thing. Listen, the guy went out on top. How many athletes really go out on top? Go out the way you want to go out? The guy made a lot of money and when you take – this isn’t a sport you take a three-year layoff from.”
Since the interview UFC.com has officially listed Daniel Cormier vs. Anthony Johnson for the 205lbs championship as the main event. Previously that spot was left open as TBA vs. TBD.
The UFC’s new owners surely want to start recouping some of the $4 billion they splashed out for the promotion and one sure fire way to do that is selling blockbuster pay-per-views. They already have two of their biggest draws in Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey looking to finish 2016 strong with UFC 205 and UFC 207 respectively but it only takes an injury to totally capitulate box office projections. Whilst GSP may not be returning any time soon, at 35 he’s still got gas in the tank and for the sake of MMA fans who want to see one of the greatest of all time fight one more time, let’s hope GSP’s camp and the UFC can come to terms.
