During Ariel Helwani’s “MMA Hour” a few minutes ago, George St. Pierre declared that he is a free agent. He is not under contract to UFC and doesn’t intend to sign a contract with them anytime soon, apparently.
This comes after UFC President Dana White ruled out GSP for UFC 206 in Toronto during an interview with “Jay and Dan on Fox Sports Live” last week.
“I’ve been saying for three years GSP, no, he’s not fighting in Toronto,” White said. “I don’t think he (fights 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. I mean, listen, the guy went out on top. How many athletes really go out on top, you know, go out the way you want to go out? The guy made a lot of money. This isn’t a sport you take a three-year layoff from. GSP wasn’t loving fighting when he was fighting all the time. First of all, it’s a young man’s game. You have to jump out of bed and want to kick people’s ass an want to be a world champion and GSP hasn’t had that fire in a long, long time.”
Just a few days ago GSP posted on Twitter that he was sick. He has not posted since this Oct. 12 Tweet.
It's only now at 35 that I learn that when you're sick, you better keep your training a little bit smoother or you'll drag it for weeks! pic.twitter.com/fppuR6xz9J
— Georges St-Pierre (@GeorgesStPierre) October 12, 2016
Keller’s Analysis: White’s denial of GSP participating at UFC 206 was met with some skepticism because White has said some things that, well, turned out to be either intentionally deceptive for negotiating reasons or to break a big story at a preferred strategic time. He was so hard on GSP, though, it seemed more firm than usual. The comments from GSP seem to indicate if games are being played, he’s playing right back – declaring he is a free agent. Will he fight again, but not in UFC? If so, does Bellator throw some money together and really make a statement? Does the Michael Chandler fight that MMATorch contributor Jared Dodds called his dream match for GSP have more than a zero percent chance of happening now? Fans who bought UFC 206 tickets in Toronto hoping to see GSP return will be disappointed by this news, which feels pretty final, although you never know.
NOW READ ABOUT THE GSP FIGHTS OUR TEAM WANTED TO SEE THAT PROBABLY WON’T HAPPEN ANYTIME SOON NOW… ROUNDTABLE: Who should George St. Pierre face if he fights at UFC 206 (or soon thereafter)? Condit? Silva? Someone else?
Dear Wade, This is posturing by Dana to try to add public pressure for GSP to fight on the UFC’s terms. Georges would have been on a fight card by now if he would have agreed to the “new UFC” situation with the overall singular Reebok sponsorship.
Georges always earned at least half of his revenue (or more) from his personal sponsors (Under Armour, Gatorade, NOS, Hayabusa). In light of this, he is demanding that the UFC make up this shortfall in earnings that the new UFC wants him to simply accept.
That “certain fighter mentality” that Dana likes the best, are fighters who need their next fight to put food on the table, pay the rent or mortgage, pay their credit cards and other bills. Dana likes the weakness of desperation that coerces most fighters to agree to fight for much less than their worth.