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This past weekend, Michael Bisping successfully defended his UFC middleweight title, but it was another rumored middleweight fight that stirred up a lot of interest online: a superfight between two all-time greats, Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre.
St-Pierre vs. Silva was a fight discussed many times before when both men were the top two pound-for-pound fighters in the sport but never came to fruition. After St-Pierre retired, it seemed a Silva fight would just be another one of the many superfights that never came to pass. Then when St-Pierre announced his intention to return to MMA, hope sprang anew. St-Pierre entered into the USADA testing pool and declared a desire to fight at UFC 206 on December 10th in Toronto, Canada. He was initially tied to a welterweight title fight against current champion Tyron Woodley, but Woodley has since been booked against Stephen Thompson at UFC 205.
Then on Friday, UFC welterweight and Canadian Patrick Cote tweeted a rumor that St-Pierre was set to fight Silva on the Toronto card.
Rumor GSP vs Silva UFC206. .. this is just 7 years to late .... #MayweatherVsPAC
— patrick cote (@patrick_cote) October 7, 2016
Adding fuel to the fire, Silva's son Kalyl posted a photo to his Instagram which also suggested the superfight was booked. While the initial photo was taken down, he replaced it with another one with the same message: "Christmas month should be exciting."
With the internet freshly buzzing about the long awaited superfight potentially being booked, UFC President Dana White was asked about the rumor after UFC 204. Speaking with Dan Hardy for BT Sport after UFC 204, White summarily dismissed it as untrue, and reaffirmed his belief that St-Pierre has no intention of returning to MMA.
"That's not true. So not true. I know everybody keeps talking about -- GSP isn't even close. I'm telling you again, I don't think GSP wants to fight. I keep saying this. You guys know fighters as much as I know fighters, do you think GSP wants to fight? GSP wasn't crazy about fighting when he was fighting! Now three years later he's just dying to fight? He's not. I don't think he is.
"That fight is definitely not gonna happen. I don't think GSP ever returns. And in some cases, that's not a bad thing. The guy retired, he went out on top, he's looked at as one of the greatest to ever do it and I just think he lost that fire a long time ago. For some reason - he's got his own person reasons - he likes to keep his name out there like he might be coming back and everybody is anticipating his return, but at the end of the day I don't think he wants it."
Of course, White has said things that later turn out not to be true on many occasions before, some of them quite recently. It could be a negotiating tactic or an attempt to conceal the fight for a big reveal later on. Or it could just be true. There have been reports that White and St-Pierre have been unable to come to terms over issues of money and that Anderson Silva has expressed his own "disappointment" about the treatment he's received from the UFC and it's possible these issues are impeding the booking of the superfight.
For now, everything is speculation and St-Pierre isn't an active member of the UFC roster. Silva still is though and after his second round stoppage of Vitor Belfort on Saturday, ninth-ranked middleweight Gegard Mousasi called out Silva in hopes of working his way towards a title shot. And while White didn't out and out dismiss the idea, he didn't make it seem likely to happen.
"If Gegard Mousasi is looking for a title shot, Anderson's probably not the way to go. He's gonna have to fight one of these murderers like Chris Weidman or Jacare or Rockhold or Romero. One of these guys in the top five."
Unfortunately for Mousasi all of those fighters are taken. Weidman and Romero are currently booked to face each other that UFC 205 and Rockhold and Jacare at set for a rematch at UFC Fight Night 101. Silva is currently the sixth ranked middleweight in the UFC but he is 0 - 4 with one No Contest in his last five bouts. So assuming Mousasi doesn't fight Silva, that still leaves both Silva and St-Pierre's dance cards noticeably empty.
But the UFC better act fast, UFC 206 is only nine weeks away.
MUST-READ STORIES
UFC 204. The results from UFC 204 are right here.
WSOF 33. And WSOF 33 results are right here.
Stupidity. Gegard Mousasi says "people are stupid" for buying into the hype around fighters like Conor McGregor.
And new. Dan Henderson believes he should have won the decision against Michael Bisping.
EXTRA CREDIT
Child fighting. Karim Zidan wrote about Chechen politician Ramzan Kadyrov putting on child fights in Russia and how Fedor Emelanenko got dragged into it recently.
MEDIA STEW
Best promo they've ever done. I cannot wait.
Fan react vid.
Dom cutting a promo on Conor.
Cruz countering Cerrone's comments about McGregor.
LISTEN UP
BATB
Bushido
6th Round
TWEETS
Wonderful thing the UFC did for Josh Samman on Saturday.
Tonights for you, Josh.
— UFC (@ufc) October 9, 2016
You'll be with us always. #RIPJoshSamman pic.twitter.com/Rc2LkoIXTS
Damn Bisping may have struggled with Hendo but he iced Tony Ferg with the quickness.
My Heart Hurts 4 @danhendo #UFC204 Lots of RESPECT Legend Hendo "I wish they would judge you by the way you look after the fight" Oss Coach
— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) October 9, 2016
@TonyFergusonXT @danhendo if they judged you by the way you look, you'd be locked up.
— michael (@bisping) October 9, 2016
Joe Silva did not agree.
— caposa (@GrabakaHitman) October 9, 2016
Coker laying the groundwork immediately.
.@danhendo Congrats on an amazing career buddy! You are a true legend!
— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) October 9, 2016
Lotta sharks looking to get at Bisping.
I beat Hendo in less than 2 minutes and @bisping went 5 rounds with him. Fuck it, let's just go for gold! @danawhitegive me the champ!
— Gegard Mousasi (@mousasi_mma) October 9, 2016
I'm not impressed with your performance @bisping #ynuevo #ufc204
— Yoel Romero (@YoelRomeroMMA) October 9, 2016
Gotta think Doane gets one more shot in the UFC.
Well said. Also have to give credit to Russell for jumping in on six days' notice. https://t.co/noRwCXoLhw
— Dave Sholler (@Sholler_UFC) October 9, 2016
— Phil Mackenzie (@EvilGregJackson) October 9, 2016
A @danhendo win tonight would be 20 million years in the making... #UFC204 pic.twitter.com/JecXO6HO9A
— MiddleEasy (@MiddleEasy) October 8, 2016
Sounds about right.
TWITTER TROLL: fuck you! You suck! ::various personal attacks::
— Coach (@CMPunk) October 10, 2016
ME: well fuck you too.
Twitter troll: woah dude! You hurt my feelings!
Great promo.
Nice subliminal marketing in the UFC 205 promo. Guess who Conor will defend the belt against (if he wins)?pic.twitter.com/QFPQd0TAZT
— caposa (@GrabakaHitman) October 9, 2016
Poor OSP is going to get a lot of stuff out of that KO.
The internet is a cruel, cruel place. pic.twitter.com/uBq31jkDZ3
— The Naked Gambler (@NakedGambling) October 10, 2016
Damn. Hendo still got that power.
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Rafael Carvalho (13-1-0) vs. Melvin Manhoef (30-13-1, 2 NC); Bellator 168, Deccember 10.
TODAY IN MMA HISTORY
2006: Tito Ortiz murdered Ken Shamrock for a third and completely unnecessary time at UFC Fight Night 6.5. It was the last UFC appearance of the Hall of Famer.
2009: Benson Henderson defeated Donald Cerrone by unanimous decision to win the interim WEC lightweight championship at WEC 43.
2014: Joe Warren defeated Eduardo Dantas to become the Bellator bantamweight championship at Bellator 128. In the co-main event, Michael Page won the only decision of his career taking all three rounds from Nah-Shon Burrell.
FINAL THOUGHTS
On Saturday, I scored the fight for Hendo. Upon rewatching it, I'm now confidently going to say say it was a draw. Second round to Hendo, first round to Hendo as a 10-8. Bisping sweeps the last 3.
Back for another week. Take it easy and see you kids tomorrow.
If you find something you'd like to see in the Morning Report, just hit me up on Twitter @JedKMeshew and let me know about it. Also follow MMAFighting on Instagram and add us on Snapchat at MMA-Fighting because we post dope things and you should enjoy them.
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