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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Prior to Georges St-Pierre's return at UFC 154, much of the conversation into his fight with Carlos Condit surrounded whether or not St-Pierre's superfight with Anderson Silva would come to fruition. After defeating Condit, UFC President Dana White thought that the UFC would get that fight put together, and put a preliminary date on the bout for May.
But that's not the fight that's happening.
St-Pierre instead wanted to stay at welterweight, and requested a fight with Nick Diaz. The UFC has given him that bout, and they're not going to be talking much about an Anderson Silva fight into March's UFC 158 event. UFC President Dana White isn't ruling that fight out for the future, and honestly believes it will happen, but he now thinks St-Pierre will be fighting someone other than Silva after Diaz.
"I truly believe - and [St-Pierre's] got to get through Diaz and then possibly [Johny] Hendricks - but I honestly believe that before Anderson Silva retires, he will fight Georges St-Pierre and Jon Jones," White said this weekend (via ESPN UK).
Penick's Analysis: The UFC erred greatly in pushing so hard for the St-Pierre-Silva fight when it wasn't close to a reality on GSP's side. He's never called for the fight, and it seemed like it was being pressed on him with Silva and White talking about is as much as they were. They're smart this time around to not make any promises, and to set St-Pierre up with another fight in Hendricks if he gets past Jake Ellenberger. That's the spot they're in now, and though White believes St-Pierre-Silva will still happen, it's more unlikely than it was prior to UFC 154.
[Dana White art by Travis Beaven (c) MMATorch.com]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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