Michael Bisping is getting tired of waiting for a date to be set for his fight with Georges St. Pierre, and he may make other plans in the meantime.
Bisping took to his podcast, “Believe You Me,” to offer an ultimatum to St. Pierre, who he feels is dragging his feet in setting a date for their agreed upon UFC Middleweight Championship fight. Bisping, and apparently UFC, would like to hold the fight during International Fight Week on July 8, but St. Pierre is non-committal and may prefer a date in September or October.
“July 8 in Las Vegas, International Fight Week, is the date and the event that we are targeting, but Dana (White) wouldn’t confirm the date at the press conference,” Bisping said. “But then I saw Dana a couple of weeks later while I was working at Fox and Dana said, ‘Yeah we’re still hoping for July 8.’ Long story short, it looks like GSP is trying to push for a later date. I heard that they wanted September-October, and that’s what the UFC told me, as well.”
Bisping made it clear on the podcast that he isn’t willing to wait until September and would instead take a fight with Yoel Romero.
“If (St. Pierre)’s not ready, then I guess Yoel Romero gets his title shot,” Bisping said. “I’m not afraid of Yoel Romero. If GSP wants to fight, of course, there’s a great story there. I’m not willing to sit around, and he doesn’t get to call the shots.”
Bisping has made it clear he plans to fight this summer one way or another. The question now is, will Georges St. Pierre feel he’s ready to take the fight that soon and, if not, does Bisping put his money where his mouth is?
Hiscoe’s Analysis: I don’t necessarily believe Bisping that he would give up the GSP payday just to fight Yoel Romero in the summer. I think he’s trying to strongarm St-Pierre into taking the fight in July when UFC typically loads up the pay-per-view card in order to maximize his earnings for the night. He could also be looking to avoid the fight potentially happening in Montreal, which is possible for the fall. Either way, the fight will happen sometime this year. I feel St-Pierre will be ready for July, but he may be biding his time until he has to make the final call.
WEDNESDAY NOTEBOOK ITEMS…
-WWE performer Paul Heyman told “The Fight Society” podcast the Ronda Rousey would still have a place in WWE even though she has lost some of her luster in the last year or so. “I think the WWE audience would embrace Ronda Rousey with open arms,” Heyman said. “Just her name recognition alone is huge. It doesn’t matter, her past two experiences in the UFC. All that matters is if she got involved in a story that people could relate to and sink their teeth into and get excited about.”
-Bellator held a press conference on Tuesday promoting their upcoming pay-per-view from New York City. One notable exchange saw Wanderlei Silva, who was frequently breathing heavily into the microphone, tell Chael Sonnen he can “Suck my balls,” after Sonnen instructed Silva to only refer to him as “Mr. Sonnen.”
-Scott Coker told media that Bellator does plan to run more pay-per-views in the future but not necessarily on a monthly basis.
-Now former WSOF Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje is now a free agent according to Fox Sports.
-Following his conviction on sexual assault and battery charges, War Machine released a statement on his Twitter account that reads:
Well, that didn’t go very well, now did it? Would you believe me, though, if I said that I have nothing but joy inside, even now as I am sure to receive some type of life sentence? It’s true. Often times I have heard men in neighboring cells go to their cells and cry after receiving such news, but how can I? How can I cry tears of sorrow over the circumstances responsible for saving my soul? These circumstances are what has transformed me into a real man, how can I disrespect god by weeping over them? How much is a soul worth? Is a life sentence too high a price? Not at all, I gladly trade this false life in for the real one to come; I have been nothing but blessed by all of this. Now, if only I could somehow receive Christy’s forgiveness… And if only I could one day hear that she too had been saved! That would remove every last bit of tarnish from this tragedy. CHRISTY: I am sorry for the man that I was, I am sorry for hurting you. One day, when enough time has passed, and when your wounds are fully healed, I hope that you will write to me, or, perhaps, even visit me, so that I can apologize completely, and so that I can tell you about all that I have found in regard to god. He is real and can heal and complete you deep inside, if only you knew the full extent to which he had healed me… I will never cease to pray for you. MELISSA & SHANNAH: You have been the best sisters a guy could ever ask for, I love you two so much. BRANDON: You have gone far above and beyond the call of duty as a friend, I’m still in awe of all you have done. STACI: Thank you for your service to god, without you I may never have been found. PHIL: Thakk you for your presence at court, sorry for failing you as a protege. HERMAN: Sorry for failing you as a mentor, you have grown into a good man, I am proud of you. JULIA: You have been a true gift from god, if only… And to the rest of my loved ones: Never worry about me, I am at peace, I am alive and happy for the first time in my life. [CLARK COUNTY DETENTION CENTER KOPPENHAVER #2519422]
–Combate is reporting that Paulo Borrachinha will fight Oluwale Bamgbose at UFC 212 on June 3 from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
NOW CHECK OUT YESTERDAY’S ARTICLE: TUESDAY NEWS DIGEST 3/28: California State Athletic Commission taking a serious look at weight-cutting in MMA (w/Hiscoe’s Analysis)
(MMATorch’s Daily News Digest features the top story of the day with added analysis, plus smaller tidbits in the News Notes section. Mike Hiscoe, who writes the News Digest Sundays through Thursdays, has a background in film criticism and previously wrote for the DVD Town and Movie Metropolis websites. His passion for Mixed Martial Arts goes back to 2005, but it was in the promotion for UFC 60: Hughes vs. Gracie that he really got hooked.”This is my house, I build it,” is still among the all-time great UFC promos. You can follow Mike on social media under the tag @mikehiscoe. He now provides his experienced writing and perspective on live MMA events for MMATorch.)
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