It looks like Michael Bisping vs. GSP is back on, and fans have Tyron Woodley to thank.
UFC 214 was not a great night for UFC welterweight champion Woodley. Sure, he defended his title in his co-main event fight with challenger Demian Maia. Yes, it was a one-sided decision that never really put him in true danger. Unfortunately, the fight set a record for the least punches thrown in a five round championship fight, and pretty much put fans to sleep. When they weren’t chanting “boring.”
While not quite Anderson Silva-Thales Leites bad, it was not a good look for Woodley, who has already been struggling to connect with fans. Worse, the fight has now cost him a shot at returning star Georges St. Pierre. After stating Bisping vs. GSP was off and the Canadian would fight the winner of Woodley vs. Maia, Woodley’s performance at UFC 214 was dull enough to have caused the UFC President Dana White to reverse course.
Confirming the news as definitive at the UFC 214 post-fight press conference, White said of the decision that “I know Michael Bisping will fight. Michael Bisping will show up, and he will fight.”
“When you get booed out of an arena, it means people don’t want to watch you fight” he later added in regards to Woodley.
When it was pointed out to White that he had previously said the Bisping vs. GSP ship had sailed, White replied that “that ship turned around and f***ing sailed back.” As for when the decision to put the superfight between St. Pierre and Bisping back on? “F***ing round five” of the Woodley vs. Maia bout.
Per White, interim champion Robert Whttaker, who is out with a knee injury following his win over Yoel Romero, will get the winner of GSP vs. Bisping.
