A biopic on the life and times of UFC legend and former two-division champion Georges St. Pierre is currently in development, according to Variety.
The Canadian star is involved with the project, as is Quebec director Thomas Soto, that will focus on his rise from a small town in Quebec to becoming one of UFC’s most well-known fighters in their history.
From the Variety piece:
“The filmmakers say they want to strip away the myth of “GSP the global icon” to “reveal Georges, the man.”
No actors or timeline for an anticipated released accompanied the announcement. St. Pierre has acted before, appearing in Captain America: The Winter Solider and Kickboxer: Vengeance, but it was not indicated that he will play himself.
St. Pierre (26-2) last fought in November 2017, defeating Michael Bisping to become the UFC middleweight champion at UFC 217. That was his first fight in four years when he defeated Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 in a controversial decision, relinquishing the welterweight title afterward.
St. Pierre was dominant during his entire career, losing just twice in the UFC — once to Matt Hughes and then once to Matt Serra. In both cases, he avenged both losses and in dominant fashion.
In an interview with CNN Tuesday, UFC president Dana White unveiled plans for one of their biggest fights of the fall plus a tease about another fight that would be much bigger.
White said that the lightweight championship unification bout between current champion Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. interim champion Justin Gaethje is a go for Saturday, October 24th with a location TBD.
The undefeated Nurmagomedov has been out of action since last September when he dominated Dustin Poirier in a title defense. Less than two months after Ramadan ended, his father passed away on July 3rd after heart surgery and complications due to COVID-19, adding to his absence. Gaethje defeated Tony Ferguson by fifth round TKO in May to win the interim belt and earn the shot at the Dagestan native.
Then in an ESPN interview, White said that he would be interested in pairing Nurmagomedov against Georges St-Pierre if it was Nurmagomedov’s final fight, a pairing both men talked about wanting to have before GSP’s retirement last year.
“Sure. Yeah, it’s the last fight of his career,” White said. “The guy has been great. He’s been great to the company, he’s been great for the sport, and, I like Khabib Nurmagomedov a lot. I would do anything Khabib wanted to do.”
This came up as the 31-year-old Nurmagomedov’s manager recently said he will retire after two more fights.
Georges St-Pierre, the face of Canadian MMA and the favorite fighter for a generation of fans created during the post-TUF boom period, was announced as joining the 2020 UFC Hall of Fame class during the UFC 249 broadcast.
He will be in the Modern wing, joining Ronda Rousey, Michael Bisping, Forrest Griffin, BJ Penn, Urijah Faber, and Rashad Evans. The designation is for fighters who turned pro after November 17, 2000; are at least 35; and have been retired for more than a year.
The event is traditionally held during July’s International Fight Week in Las Vegas, Nevada, but with the current situation with the pandemic, all bets are off as to when the ceremony happens.
The 38-year-old retired last February after a 26-2 career that was nearly all spent in the Octagon.
The Montreal, Quebec, Canada, native had his first UFC fight in 2004 and it only took him three fights to earn a title shot — one he lost in a round to Matt Hughes for the vacant welterweight title.
He then won six straight, including a 2006 rematch against Hughes in which he won the title via second round TKO. However, a subsequent first round knockout loss to longshot Matt Serra could have derailed everything.
It would be the last loss of his career.
He went on to win 13 straight, including unifying the welterweight title in a dominant effort over Serra, and had nine defenses of the title before vacating it after a controversial split decision win over Johny Hendricks in November 2013. The win streak is tied for second most in UFC history.
Four years later, he returned at UFC 217 at Madison Square Garden and finished middleweight champion Michael Bisping in the third round in one of the year’s most poignant moments. With the win, he became one of seven fighters in UFC history to win titles in two weight classes.
His 13 title fight wins are second most in UFC history, his 20 wins are tied for third most in UFC history, his 2591 strikes are the most in UFC history, and his 90 takedowns are also the most in UFC history.
He also headlined one of the largest events in MMA history: UFC 129 in Toronto, Canada, held in front of nearly 56,000 fans at the Rogers Centre.
Even though a great Canadian retired Thursday in Montreal, another Canadian icon ready to take his place.
On a new Josh Nason’s Punch-Out, POST Wrestling co-founder John Pollock returns for an hour-long edition of the podcast, hitting on three main topics and splintering off from there.
We begin with the retirement announcement of Georges St-Pierre, his relationship with Dana White the past few years, the situation around the Khabib Nurmagomedov fight not happening, and who we wish we had seen him fight before he retired.
We then transition to some POST Wrestling updates which veers off to some talk about the media and why they can’t be blamed for everything.
Finally, I get to vent a bit about Bellator MMA after a near disastrous weekend that saw one main event end due to a groin shot and another that was a complete dud despite a huge build-up.
Hear that and more by just clicking below. Can you do no less?
Georges St-Pierre, one of the most popular and successful MMA fighters of all time, will announce his retirement on Thursday at a 10:30 AM press conference in Montreal, Canada.
The news was first reported by Benoit Beaudoin of RDS in Canada and verified by ESPN.
The 37-year-old St-Pierre last competed in November 2017 after four years out of the sport, defeating Michael Bisping by third round submission to win the UFC middleweight championship. He vacated the belt after a month after he revealed he was suffering from colitis and didn’t want to hold up the division.
His name had been brought up repeatedly over the last year-plus for potential fights with Conor McGregor, Anderson Silva, and Khabib Nurmagomedov, but UFC president Dana White continually shot the notion of GSP returning down.
ESPN’s Ariel Helwani tweeted that when efforts at making a Nurmagomedov fight fell through, the decision to retire was made.
St-Pierre made his pro debut in January 2002 and after five fights, he made his UFC debut two years later. What followed was two runs with the UFC welterweight title, one interim welterweight title win, nine successful title defenses, and a 13 fight win streak to end his career.
He left the sport after a controversial split decision win over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 in November 2013, saying he needed to take time off — a decision that fractured his relationship with White and UFC ownership.
During his run, he elevated the UFC’s brand in Canada, making them a financial bonafide hotbed for MMA during the post-TUF boom period. He headlined the company’s first-ever stadium show, UFC 129 in Toronto, Canada, in front of nearly 56,000, and during his run, he defeated the likes of Bisping, B.J. Penn, Matt Hughes, Frank Trigg, Nick Diaz, Carlos Condit, and Josh Koscheck among others.
He also became one of the few fighters of that era to crossover into mainstream pop culture. He signed a deal with Under Armour, one of the few mainstream sports apparel deals an MMA fighter had, and even played the role of Batroc in the Captain America sequel.
I asked our two intrepid MMA writers — Paul Fontaine and Ryan Frederick — to jot down some thoughts on 2017 while looking ahead to 2018. With the MMA year kicking off this weekend with UFC in St. Louis, MO, let’s take a gander back at the year that was.
When you think about 2017 in MMA, what comes to mind?
Paul:
I think of ‘What could have been?’ UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor didn’t fight in the Octagon. Jon Jones did what Jon Jones does and blew a potential mega-fight with Brock Lesnar. Ronda Rousey proved she still had drawing power at the end of 2016 with a million plus buy PPV and then proceeded to not fight in 2017. The only currently somewhat active person in UFC who is a big draw is Georges St Pierre and he will be out with an injury for the foreseeable future.
Ryan:
I see this as a year of missed opportunities, both when it comes to the UFC and the fighters. The UFC missed out on Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, Nate Diaz, and Brock Lesnar fighting. In the case of Conor, they made the business decision to let him box Floyd Mayweather which made them big money. You can’t fault them for that, but that meant UFC fans missed out on enjoying him in the Octagon.
With the case of Rousey, she appears gone for good. With Diaz, it was simply a matter of money as they tried and failed to get him to fight. With Lesnar, the drug test failure still looms. When it comes to the fighters, weight issues with Khabib Nurmagomedov plagued a fight between him and Tony Ferguson, which had the potential to be great. Demetrious Johnson turned down his biggest payday and the biggest fight of his career with TJ Dillashaw, opting to fight Ray Borg. The middleweight championship was in flux all year, with a lot of good potential title fights being stalled. There were opportunities to have a more action-packed year, but things just couldn’t come to fruition.
Josh:
One word comes to mind: dull. After a completely awesome 2016, the first few months of the year sputtered and every time we thought we were ready to turn a corner, we got more misfires. I think of the bad UFC PPV in Brooklyn where Germaine de Randamie edged out Holly Holm to win a title no one asked for, only to later drop it because she didn’t want to fight Cyborg. I think of a lot of injured champions and good fights that fell through. I think of the word ‘interim’. There were some great moments, but it was a 12 months where more of the fringe fans got shaved off due to boredom.
What was your favorite fight?
Ryan:
I have to go with the non-stop brawl that was Justin Gaethje against Michael Johnson at The Ultimate Fighter Finale in July. Both men landed big punches that likely would have knocked any other opponent out, and yet, they kept coming at each other. Gaethje showed why he was one of the most exciting UFC signings in a long time and one of the most exciting fighters at 155 pounds. Violence was expected, and violence was brought.
Paul:
It wasn’t necessarily the best fight, but my favorite was the Jose Aldo-Max Holloway rematch at December’s UFC 218. Holloway has always been one of my favorite fighters and on that night, he proved that he was the top featherweight in the sport and maybe one of the best of all time with a dismantling of the former dominant champion. Aldo still has it in him to beat just about anyone in the division, as evidenced by his one sided win over Frankie Edgar, but Holloway looked like he was in another league in Detroit.
Josh:
This one is easy: Tyron Woodley vs. Stephen Thompson II! Just kidding, everyone. I’m going to go with one that probably isn’t popular due to what happened afterward, but I still loved Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier II. It was the biggest fight of the summer and we got a lot of questions temporarily answered about Jones in his decimation of Cormier. Between the build, the result, and the post fight interviews, Jones appeared to have arrived back on the main attraction stage and we were dreaming about Jones-Gustafsson II and even a Brock Lesnar fight in 2018. Then, USADA checked in and everything went to hell.
What was your favorite event?
Paul:
UFC 217 that featured the return of GSP as he beat Michael Bisping and won the middleweight title. It also featured two other title fights, both with upset title changes, including what may have been the upset of the year with Rose Namajunas stopping Joanna Jedrzejczyk. You can’t ask for much more from a big show.
Ryan:
Honestly, it’s UFC 217, but I wanted to shine a light on the pay-per-view offering that followed it: UFC 218. You had two of the best fights of the year in Yancy Medeiros against Alex Oliveira, and the violence between Eddie Alvarez and Justin Gaethje. You had Max Holloway systematically tearing Jose Aldo apart to declare himself the true king at 145 pounds. Last, but certainly not least, you had the most vicious (and one of the greatest) knockouts of all time when Francis Ngannou earned his shot at championship gold when he took out Alistair Overeem. There were a lot of memorable moments all around.
Josh:
I’m going to stick with UFC 214, headlined by Jones vs. Cormier II. Other than the Woodley-Maia co-main event which wasn’t the most thrilling, this show featured Cyborg Justino winning the women’s featherweight title over Tonya Evinger, the much-anticipated Robbie Lawler-Donald Cerrone fight, and another Volkan Oezdemir first round KO to open the PPV. The prelims were good with some interesting names picking up wins (Brian Ortega, Ricardo Lamas, Aljamain Sterling). There were a few standout candidates (UFC 217, UFC 218, but this was it for me.
Who was your Fighter of the Year?
Josh:
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m going with flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and perhaps not for a reason that you might think. Yes, he picked up wins over Wilson Reis and Ray Borg, but the way in which he beat Borg was my finish of the year. A German suplex into an armbar for the finish at the end of a fight? Get outta here.
But the big reason was what he did in June by publicly airing his grievances against Dana White and his attempts to make a fight with TJ Dillashaw that he didn’t want. He discussed how White threatened to eliminate the whole division and was open about his contract and other issues. It was refreshing to hear someone clearly bothered by the head of the UFC finally come out and discuss it. He really turned the corner for me after that, helping round out the character for the most dominant champion in the sport right now.
Paul:
I’m going with Francis Ngannou. With two first round KOs over two bonafide MMA legends, he went from obscure prelim fighter to the top heavyweight title contender in just over a year. I give honorable mentions to welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and strawweight champ Rose Namajunas.
Ryan:
It is a tough field as Robert Whittaker, Rose Namajunas, and Tyron Woodley could all earn the nod, but I’m going with Demetrious Johnson for this one. I was cageside for both of his fights this year, and as great as he comes off when viewing on television, he is just another level live. He is the best fighter in the sport, and the way he just outworked both Wilson Reis and Ray Borg on his way to submitting both was world class. Not to mention, he had the most incredible submission of all-time, throwing Borg in the air and locking in an armbar in mid-air. Myself, along with many other media members, lost our minds and were astonished by this cageside. It’s a moment I won’t soon forget.
What was the most disappointing (fighter, trend, event, news story) that happened in 2017?
Paul:
This has to be Jon Jones. He returns from a one year drug failure suspension and beats Daniel Cormier for the title he never lost, promptly fails another PED test, and is now facing a possible four year suspension. Not only did he single handedly destroy the credibility of the light heavyweight title, once the marquee belt in the UFC, he also messed up a potential record-breaking fight in terms of buys with WWE Universal champion Brock Lesnar.
Ryan:
Without question, it is the Jon Jones situation. When he was involved at the press conference for all of the summer fights in May, I was amongst those he talked to backstage. I truly gave him the benefit of the doubt that he was coming back for redemption. He defeated Daniel Cormier, reclaimed gold, and had it all taken away just weeks later in the same situation he has found himself in for the last several years. He could have gone down as the greatest of all-time, but the drug test failures, if they already hadn’t tarnished his legacy, they certainly have now.
Josh:
I’m going a little higher level and say the UFC in general was my most disappointing thing of 2017. We still don’t know what Endeavor (the former WME-IMG) is all about and what they hope to do with the sport. We got two new titles introduced to little to no fanfare. Interim title fights were abound. Head-scratching main events were made. Cards were thin while events were plentiful. Conor McGregor was allowed to box in a strictly financial move. For a group that is supposed to be the stewards of the sport, UFC leadership was often derelict in that duty last year.
What’s your biggest question(s) for the MMA year ahead?
Ryan:
I think, maybe not the biggest question, but one of the most important ones is how the new television deal is going to impact the future. They will announce a new deal this year, but how much they get and for what amount of content, is a big question mark. It is certainly going to have an effect on their business model, whether it’s positive or negative, and it may change how things are run, and how often we get fight cards, and what types of fights are booked. It is an interesting situation that needs to be followed.
Paul:
Can anyone break away from the pack of really good fighters to become a bigger than life star that people will flock to in droves to see fight on PPV? UFC has always had 2-3 such fighters since their business exploded in popularity in 2005. The biggest possibility would seem to be Francis NGannou should he beat Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title. Other contenders would be Rose Namajunas or Sage Northcutt if the latter could string a series of wins together.
Josh:
I really wonder where the sport will be at a year from now. It feels like 2016 was an anomaly and 2017 was the norm with what Endeavor’s vision is: a few loaded PPVs a year, some PPVs reliant on one or two fights, a lot of thin cards on free TV and Fight Pass, and “we gotta fill out a show” booking. I hope we are in a better place a year from now, but we’re going to need a few lucky breaks and some real forward thinking (less events in the new TV deal) in order to get there.
The latest incarnation of Chris Jericho and the same incarnation of Kenny Omega shot two basic but major physical angles to build their 1/4 match at the Tokyo Dome.
The first angle, which included using juice for an angle (New Japan doesn’t use blading any longer, and whatever blood, like with WWE, comes from hard-hitting action or in-ring mistakes) for the first time in years (it was so long that most couldn’t remember the last time, thinking New Japan banned the blade about nine years ago and essentially Omega asked for the favor and since this is such a high expense match on such a big show they gave it to him), took place on 12/11 at the finals of the tag team tournament in Fukuoka. A second angle took place the next afternoon at the Tokyo Dome press conference in Tokyo, which ended up being shut down, in a sense like the Conor McGregor-Nate Diaz II press conference was as things got out of hand and Jericho channeled a cross between 1986 Ric Flair and 1982 Andy Kaufman.
After Omega & The Young Bucks had beaten Sho & Yoh & Rocky Romero, the lights went out at the Fukuoka International Center Arena.
In one of the bigger shocks of the year, after Kenny Omega retained the U.S. title beating Trent Baretta at the New Japan’s Power Struggle show on 11/5 in Osaka, and he and the Young Bucks were in the ring, Omega did a joking promo about how this is the part of the show where whoever challenges him comes out to introduce himself. Then Omega started speaking in Japanese, a language he knows fluently, which is one of the reasons the fans accept him as such a major star. Then he asked, in Japanese, for whoever is his next challenger to come out. Nobody did. He then ended the promo with his trademark line, pointing his hand like it’s a gun, saying, “I bid you adieu, goodbye and good night.”
At that point, the lights went out and a video played.
Josh Nason’s Punch-Out returns for another new episode with an hour-long conversation with returning guest Marc Raimondi of MMAFighting.com.
On the topic board:
– What’s next for Georges St-Pierre, Rose Namajunas, and TJ Dillashaw following their title victories at UFC 217?
– Is GSP now officially a moneyweight fighter along with Conor McGregor and if so, does that make a clash between them inevitable?
– Is Joanna Non-Champion right about Rose not being able to handle the pressure of being a champion?
– This weekend’s fun-looking UFC Norfolk card which is chock full of crossroads fights (Matt Brown vs. Diego Sanchez, Joe Lauzon vs. Clay Guida), a favorite of yours truly.
– Marc’s experiences at PWG walking around the one and only Dave Meltzer and how he got to be a pro wrestling fan to begin with
– What fights is Marc looking forward to most the rest of 2017? (Spoiler: one is already off due to injury.)
Listen to all that and more on the latest JNPO now:
Jump into the wayback machine with yours truly as we continue our run through the archives of the WGAM MMA Show, a weekly MMA focused radio show on ESPN NH that ran from 2011-12, hosted by myself and co-host/producer PJ Huot.
On the 6-2-2011 edition of the show:
– We discussed the breaking news that then-UFC welterweight champion GSP vs. then-Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz was confirmed for Las Vegas, NV. We had a lot of questions about what this meant for Diaz’s future in Strikeforce.
– We did a full review of a boring UFC 130 and aired our frustrations with Rampage Jackson and the entire light heavyweight division.
– We discussed Dana White’s pleading with Roy Nelson to drop to light heavyweight.
– We did an extensive interview with then-UFC rookie and current pro wrestler Chuck O’Neil. We talked about his TUF experience and fighting against Tony Ferguson on the show. We also asked about “Uncle” Brock Lesnar and his impending fight against Chris Cope.
– We previewed the TUF finale show featuring Ferguson vs. Ramsey Nijem and the “can’t be bad” main event between Clay Guida and Anthony Pettis.
It took long enough, but the UFC and future Hall-of-Famer Georges St. Pierre finally came to terms on a new contract and already have his first fight booked: a middleweight title shot against champion Michael Bisping at some point in 2017.
Even without a venue or a date, the two will have their first press conference to begin building the fight Friday at 5 PM EST.
St. Pierre will be 36 when he steps into the Octagon for the first time in more than three years, a long layoff that included recovery from an ACL tear. He is getting the shot despite never having fought at 185 pounds and with several challengers waiting for Bisping.
Bisping is coming off the best year of his long career, having bested Anderson Silva, Dan Henderson and Luke Rockhold, the latter in a shocking upset for the belt. He has been trying to make this fight since GSP announced he wanted to return. While many assumed this fight would be in Toronto this past December, the negotiations to make it happen fell through.
Speculation is the bout will take place as part of International Fight Week this July in Las Vegas, NV.
Confirming what had been known since earlier this week and rumored for far longer, Dana White revealed to Lance Pugmire of the LA Times that Georges St-Pierre is returning to the UFC.
“He’s back. I’m excited,” White told Pugmire. “We worked at it for a long time and finally got it done.”
White said that the deal for GSP to return to the company was completed on Thursday.
While the news that St-Pierre is back with the UFC is confirmed, who he’ll be facing upon his return isn’t. White told Pugmire that GSP could fight for the championship at welterweight or middleweight, and that fighting at lightweight is even a possibility.
Middleweight champion Michael Bisping has been a rumored opponent for St-Pierre’s return fight, with a bout targeted for UFC 206 in Toronto last December unable to be made as GSP and the UFC couldn’t come to an agreement. MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani reached out to Bisping, who said, “I’m happy Georges is back part of the UFC roster, and hopefully we’ll meet in the Octagon soon.”
St-Pierre is, of course, a former UFC welterweight champion and successfully defended that title in a controversial split-decision win over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 in November 2013 before stepping away and vacating the title.
His negotiations to return to the UFC have been well-publicized, with GSP’s endorsement deal with Under Armour a sticking point given the UFC’s relationship with Reebok. He was also previously critical of the UFC’s drug testing procedures before USADA came into the picture.
GSP’s next fight may not be immediate, however, as Helwani reports that the target for the fight remains the third or fourth quarter of this year.
One of the most popular MMA fighters in UFC history and the man responsible for igniting the interest of an entire country looks to finally be making his way back to the Octagon after a multi-year layoff.
MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani reported Wednesday that former UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and the UFC have hammered out terms on a new multi-fight contract, ending a long period of negotiation and consistent denials of his return from UFC president Dana White.
Helwani said that the expectation is the Canadian star will return in the third quarter of 2017, but an opponent and date haven’t been announced.
Over the course of the second half of 2016, St. Pierre consistently intimated that he wanted to return to fighting which prompted several fighters (Tyron Woodley, Michael Bisping) to call him out in an effort to secure a “money” fight. It appeared St. Pierre’s return would happen at last December’s UFC PPV in Toronto against middleweight champion Bisping, but both sides couldn’t come to an agreement.
One of the major sticking points has been St. Pierre’s deal with Under Armour, a competitor to UFC sponsor and fightwear provider Reebok, but Helwani didn’t have any notes on that. Another issue dating back to when St. Pierre was an active competitor was the company’s drug testing policies, something that would appear to be alleviated with USADA in place.
St. Pierre last fought in November 2013 at UFC 167, successfully defending his welterweight gold in a controversial split decision over Johny Hendricks.
In the ongoing ‘will he or won’t he’ story of Georges St. Pierre resuming his UFC career, the answer for now is still no according to GSP himself.
The former UFC welterweight champion released a short video on Twitter Wednesday where he addressed UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping’s recent tweets openly asking for the fight.
St-Pierre said nothing would make him happier than to fight Bisping at December’s UFC 206 in Toronto, CA, and that he met with new UFC head honcho Ari Emanuel and Dana White last week. While he said he made peace with White, nothing was resolved so for now, the fight isn’t happening but that “hopefully, things will change soon.”
The 35-year-old GSP has been out of the sport since a controversial split decision win over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 in November 2013. A bit of a public feud with management ensued after he alluded to retirement and didn’t give White or then-UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta a heads-up about the decision.
St-Pierre had made rumblings about returning to the UFC this year, but White was very non-committal in interviews about the possibility of him coming back, often saying it simply wasn’t going to happen because GSP didn’t want to come back.
The prevailing thought is that St-Pierre’s deal with Under Armour is conflicting with the UFC’s exclusive Reebok deal, raising contractual issues over compensation. Recently, St-Pierre told Ariel Helwani he was a free agent due to a contract clause, but the UFC shot that down the next day.
The strange story of a super-popular former UFC champion on the outside looking in will continue.
