UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping will be defending the gold against a returning Georges St. Pierre sometime in the second half of 2017.
The British born champion feels that GSP chose him to fight in his return to the UFC because he feels that it would be an easy win.
“He chose me because he thinks he can beat me,” Bisping said on UFC Tonight. “I trained with him 11 years ago and he outwrestled me. Now back then I was a kickboxer from England, I didn’t know a double leg from a double decker bus. But every time we trained he’d take me down. He thinks I’m still that guy. He thinks I’m an easy opponent, an easy pick. He picked me to come out of retirement, moving up a weight class, it’s almost like he has nothing to lose, but if he moves up a weight class, he beats me, he becomes a legend.”
Bisping hasn’t competed since defeating Dan Henderson at UFC 204, while GSP hasn’t fought since defeating Johny Hendricks at UFC 167. Criticism has been high since the fight was announced, but Bisping expected that to happen.
“I know there are people out there who are criticizing me,” Bisping said. “Saying I should fight the number one contender, guys like Yoel Romero, and they’re absolutely right. But, put the question right back to you: If you are Yoel Romero, or Luke Rockhold, or Jacare [Souza] or any of these guys. If you were offered a fight with GSP, I know for a fact you’re going to take that fight. So why shouldn’t I do the same? I deserve this payoff, I deserve this fight, not only for the payday, I want this fight for my legacy.”
The fight will also mark the middleweight division debut for GSP.
