***The UFC/MMA THREAD***

[Grapefruits]

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Edited November 18, 2013 by Grapefruits

[XXCanucksXX]

What did you guys think of gsp's performance?

Was it just me, or did he look pretty bad? Noticeably smaller, weaker, slower and had no explosiveness. His legs alone looked tiny compared to usual. Ever since his knee injury he looks like a shell of his former self.

Yea, he looked completely different than he did before his other fights (a lot skinnier). Right when i saw GSP,i noticed how skinny he was and honestly thought he would lose. Hendricks was noticeably stronger than GSP, wasn't sure why firas zahabi was telling George to take down Hendricks and every time George attempted to take down Hendricks, he would eat a bunch of elbows, dat slide tho when GSP tried taking Hendricks down

I was talking to a buddy about this earlier. he didn't look like the GSP of old. He isn't a healthy person right now, whether its physical, mental, or both.

He needs to be given the time he needs to work through whatever issues he is dealing with.

You're last 3-4 posts were spot on, i applaud you. according to TMZ...

Georges St-Pierre will take a break from the UFC to handle 2 major personal crises -- his father is dying and he got a woman pregnant and doesn't want her to have the baby ... TMZ Sports has learned.

GSP repeatedly made cryptic remarks after his controversial win Saturday over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 -- telling Joe Rogan he needed to step away from the sport to deal with personal issues.

Now, sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ Sports ... Georges' dad is dying and it's derailed him.

And there's this ... GSP recently learned he knocked up a woman -- and he doesn't want to have a baby with her but she insists on keeping it.

After his fight on Saturday, GSP said his situation is so bad he can't sleep -- "I'm going crazy. I have issues, man. I need to relax. I need to get out for a while. I don't know what I'm going to do."

It's clear ... Georges was not himself in the ring ... something that was written all over his face after the fight.

Dana's an idiot, GSP doesn't owe the UFC or the fans anything, how is GSP suppose to focus knowing his dad is in critical health?

And I don't get why everyone's going off who won the fight over GSP's face, GSP bruises easy... And Dave Meltzer explains the judges decision perfectly, its not the judges fault, its the UFC and their point systems fault.

Dave Meltzer:

• If judging fight as a whole, who did more damage, Pride scoring, JH wins, absolutely
  
• When the guy who won his 2 won them big, but not 10-8 big. Issue is scoring system, not judges
  
• When deciding judge was a guy UFC hires on its own for overseas shows in main events, pretty bad to blame NV for the assignment
  
• I agree. I thought JH clearly won the fight and I wish that's how scoring was done. It isn't. Stats show how close it was.
  

Edited November 19, 2013 by XXCanucksXX

[UFCanuck]

Yes he does. He owes the guy who just beat him another chance to get what's rightfully his.

He doesn't owe anything. If Johnny has a beef then he should take it up with the judges.

It's not GSP's fault he won.

[Grapefruits]

Yea, he looked completely different than he did before his other fights (a lot skinnier). Right when i saw GSP,i noticed how skinny he was and honestly thought he would lose. Hendricks was noticeably stronger than GSP, wasn't sure why firas zahabi was telling George to take down Hendricks and every time George attempted to take down Hendricks, he would eat a bunch of elbows, dat slide tho when GSP tried taking Hendricks down

You're last 3-4 posts were spot on, i applaud you. according to TMZ...

Dana's an idiot, GSP doesn't owe the UFC or the fans anything, how is GSP suppose to focus knowing his dad is in critical health?

And I don't get why everyone's going off who won the fight over GSP's face, GSP bruises easy... And Dave Meltzer explains the judges decision perfectly, its not the judges fault, its the UFC and their point systems fault.

Dave Meltzer:

I saw that on TMZ earlier and posted it above. I did some more research on it and saw conflicting reports so I deleted it. There was a report I saw where his sister had come out and denied the rumours about their father. I also saw one that lead towards substance abuse, so I choose not to believe any of it until GSP confirms it himself.

Either way, there is definitely something wrong that's affecting his training/fighting/life that he needs to dealt with. If he has to walk away from UFC to do it, so be it

It's sickening to see how some media has gone for the throat regarding the fight and the "travesty" as they call it, of a decision. By the scoring system used, it wasn't a travesty, it was a close fight.

Here’s a pic of GSP taken from this morning in Vegas, the damage doesn't look nearly as bad. Im sure without those elbows from when he slipped, he wouldn't look all tha bad.

Edited November 19, 2013 by Grapefruits

[people please]

Wow, UFC is just as crooked as boxing. No freaking way GSP won that fight. GSP's face looks like hamburger meat.

You're the reason Dana made it such an big deal after the fight, cause people don't understand the athletic commission picks the judges.

[people please]

This is probably true but not with the belt that he should no longer have. It seems like a cop out. Have a bad fight, get your face destroyed, retain the title in a decision almost everyone unanimously agrees was the wrong one and disappear with the title? That sounds wrong to me and it sounds wrong to Dana White who seems like he aint letting that happen. White cant reverse the decision but I dont think he's gonna let GSP run and hide with the belt.

Lol just stop, why would Gsp hide with the belt he's held it for so long?

[UFCanuck]

Dana White was out of line in his criticism of Georges St-Pierre

It's not a party until someone embarrasses himself, right? Well, Saturday night's gala in Las Vegas, a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, was soured late in the evening by a mortifying display.

I'm not referring to the imperfect, though courageous showing by Georges St-Pierre, who was far from his dominant self in being battered -- somewhat senseless, we would learn afterward -- in a roundly criticized split-decision win over Johny Hendricks. The slim victory allowed the 32-year-old to walk out of the octagon still in possession of the welterweight championship belt he's worn for going on six years.

I'm not talking about the job done by cageside judges Sal D'Amato and Tony Weeks, either. You might have a bone to pick with their 48-47 scorecards in St-Pierre's favor, but if you do, you likely didn't see the bout much differently from Glen Trowbridge, whose scorecard had the same numbers but in Hendricks' favor. A decision that swings upon a single tightly contested round does not warrant Armageddon outrage.

No, the most ghastly performance of the night was turned in by Dana White, the loquacious and unfiltered UFC president, who was at his most crass and petulant in the aftermath of Saturday's main event.

White's late-night rant against the Nevada State Athletic Commission -- its judging, its refereeing, its brazen disregard for him and all he does for mixed martial arts -- was astoundingly over the top, and unless it was all hot air, it might have a longterm impact on the sport. The blustery promoter did intimate, after all, that he's "scared to come back here and do fights." By "here" he meant Las Vegas, the UFC's hometown and site of seven of the promotion's 33 events in 2013. How does that bode for 2014?

But it was while addressing a different aspect of his business that White stepped over the line, showing a callous disregard for a troubled champion. It would have been shameful for the promoter to speak of any fighter the way he did, but for the UFC boss to act so despicably toward a man who has played a significant role in making his company a success was scandalous.

Georges St-Pierre had just had his hand raised and the hefty belt affixed around his waist, and as he stood at the center of the cage being interviewed by Joe Rogan, he looked a mess. There were cuts below both eyes, abrasions everywhere you could see -- from forehead to lips to bridge of the nose. His eyes were glassy, and he was blinking as if searching for focus he'd misplaced somewhere but couldn't recall where.

After answering a couple of questions about the fight, speaking of how he couldn't see out of his right eye at one point and had lost his memory -- "Imagine how tough it was" -- the champ grabbed for the microphone and appeared to well up with emotion. "I have a bunch of stuff in my life happening," he said. "I need to hang up my gloves for a little bit." Gently probed by Rogan as to whether this was a retirement announcement, St-Pierre would only say, "I have to go away for a little bit at least."

It was a cryptic message, spoken with humility and fragility. It was met by a bull in a china shop.

"GSP will not retire. He will not retire after that fight," White fumed minutes later, with agitation and defiance in his voice, as he was interviewed on the Fox postfight show. "He owes it to the fans, he owes it to this company and he owes it to Johny Hendricks to come in and do that fight again."

Interesting to hear that from a promoter who has said many times in the past that he would never stand in the way of a fighter who feels it's time to retire. White acknowledged as much a short time later at the press conference, although other than pointing out that St-Pierre putting his career on hiatus was not a true retirement, the UFC president did not soften his stance. He just added a dose of sarcasm.

"There's no 'Hey, listen, I'm going to go on a cruise.' 'I'm going to be gone for two years.' 'I'm going to take a hiatus.' 'I'm going to take a leave of absence.' Whatever the hell it was that he was saying," said White. "That's not how it works. It doesn't work that way."

It does work that way, though, at least for an athlete at St-Pierre's level within the game. GSP is not some prelim fighter whom White can bully into walking the line. If Georges feels the need for time off, he can step away and there'll be fights waiting for him when he chooses to come back ... if he chooses to come back. It's within the right of the UFC to strip him of the welterweight belt, of course, but demand that he fight? No.

What was especially troubling about White's diatribe was that the UFC poobah seemed to have no context for ridiculing his champion. When a reporter asked if he thought it would have been wise to first learn what was troubling GSP, White didn't pause for even a moment to think over the question. "No, it wouldn't," he snapped. "Because here's the thing: Let's say he had health problems or something like that; he wouldn't be fighting if he had health problems."

Had White not just heard St-Pierre speak of experiencing blurred vision and memory loss during the fight? It wasn't the first time the champ had mentioned having problems with one of his eyes. And do mental health issues count? Didn't the boss hear the confusion and melancholy in the fighter's voice?

Apparently not. Perhaps White was too busy working on his comic interpretation of what the UFC might be like if a big baby like GSP were its president. "Hey, guess what, Lorenzo: I'll see you in a year and half," he said mockingly, play-acting a theoretical conversation with Lorenzo Fertitta, the fight promotion's CEO and part-owner. "I'm going to [expletive] take off for a while. I got some [expletive] to do."

The caustic and ugly rhetoric toned down a bit once St-Pierre showed up for the latter part of the press conference. As the fighter spoke, though, his haziness came more and more to the surface, and it seemed not to stem entirely from the brutal fight that had ended an hour earlier. "I can't sleep at night now," said St-Pierre at one point. "I'm going crazy. I have issues, man. I need to relax. I need to get out for a while, you know? I don't know what I'm going to do."

It was a telling moment, made more so by White turning bully again. The fighter wasn't the target this time, though. The alpha dog promoter cut off a reporter's query for St-Pierre and instructed the assembled press to not ask GSP anything more about what had prompted his hiatus announcement. "He doesn't want to answer that question," said White, whereupon the press corps dutifully dropped the matter. That the MMA media would allow itself to be intimidated shouldn't come as a surprise considering that one of White's earlier comments about the Nevada commission actually had drawn applause. At a press conference. Yeesh.

White is charming and engaging, for the most part, in his interactions with those of us who cover MMA. He is accessible in a way that no other sport's big cheese has ever been. He's a promoter and he knows what to say to sell a fight, to be sure, but you'll never get from White the corporate-speak that you would if you were granted an audience with Roger Goodell. In any conversation with Dana White, you're pretty much assured of squeezing an "I probably shouldn't talk about this, but ..." revelation out of him. The man makes covering this sport a lot juicier, so it's easy to understand why reporters tiptoe around him as if he were a lovable king of the jungle.

When you talk with White, one of the things that comes through loud and clear is that he's a huge fan of fights. And of fighters. Even his take on the GSP-Hendricks decision seemed to derive from that perspective. Sure, the UFC will profit if it gets to stage a rematch, but the loss of a dominant St-Pierre -- which seems to be coming about anyway, but surely would have if Hendricks had become champ -- would not be a boon to the bottom line. Yet White was upset because, in his unwavering opinion, the wrong fighter had his hand raised. He can be righteous.

It's reasonable to speculate that White's bitterness toward the Nevada commission fueled his sour mood and set in motion the St-Pierre rant. He'd never before spoken negatively about the champ. And after talking with GSP briefly following the press conference, White was more at ease when he came back into the media room for a casual sit-down with reporters. "I'm in a better mood now," he acknowledged, later adding with regard to St-Pierre: "He's obsessing over something right now that might seem like the end of the world, but it's not. ... I think everything's going to be fine. I think everything's going to roll just like it always does."

All's well that ends well, then? Not quite. White may have struck a more conciliatory tone by night's end, but his more public earlier rants -- on the Fox show and in front of press conference cameras -- don't just go away. Words matter. They mattered when Miguel Torres tweeted rape jokes. They mattered when Matt Mitrione made offensive remarks about a transgender fighter. Don't hold your breath waiting for Dana White to be fined under the UFC's Code of Conduct, but it cannot be ignored that his bullying words matter even more than the fighters' do because, when push comes to shove, White sets the tone in the world's biggest fight promotion.

Even if, in the end, White entices St-Pierre back into the cage with honey rather than vinegar, that's a dangerous road to go down. The fighter had a reason for saying he needs a break. And based on what he said, GSP shouldn't be leaned on to continue fighting, whether that persuasion comes via a bully's ridicule or a friendly arm around the shoulder that smoothes out problems that, in White's contention, "aren't as bad as he thinks they are." If there's convincing to be done, it should start with Georges St-Pierre. He should have to persuade the UFC and athletic commissions that he's in the right place, physically and mentally, to be allowed to compete again. We all heard what he said. Words do indeed matter.

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mma/news/20131119/dana-white-georges-st-pierre-ufc-167/#ixzz2l8MVKUdk

[Gross-Misconduct]

Lol just stop, why would Gsp hide with the belt he's held it for so long?

Are you paying attention? GSP said he's going to disappear for awhile...with the belt. Try to follow along.

[Grapefruits]

Are you paying attention? GSP said he's going to disappear for awhile...with the belt. Try to follow along.

All said while emotions were running high. I don't read too much into those comments.

[Monteeun]

Are you paying attention? GSP said he's going to disappear for awhile...with the belt. Try to follow along.

Apparently you're not. Try to follow along.

[Raoul Duke]

this whole gsp thing has totally taken the attention off rory

another hype train derailed

Good call. We could go on for pages and pages about the GSP/Hendricks fight and argue and argue... zzzzzz.

Rory the douchebag got humbled and that made me so friggin happy. He had absolutely no answer for Robbie. Was great! And you wanna talk about bad judging?? A judge actually gave that fight to Rory!! THAT was crap.

Great finish by Cerrone too. Looked solid finally.

LOLLLLLLL at Koschek. Time to change that gameplan buddy. Woodley almost knocked his head off!

Rashad dominated Chael as expected. Pointless fight IMO.

Ali Bagautinov is a beast. He took out a very tough opponent in Elliott. Him and Khabib are the future of their respective divisions for sure.

[XXCanucksXX]

Interesting article about possible brain damage for GSP: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ufc-joe-rogan-believes-georges-st-pierre-suffered-190100645--mma.html

It should have been a joyful moment. UFC champion Georges St-Pierre had just retained the belt after a close fight with Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 on Nov. 16 in Las Vegas. But St-Pierre did not appear himself, especially as he discussed needing "to go away for a little bit" with announcer Joe Rogan inside the Octagon after the decision was announced.

St-Pierre looked confused, emotional, and unsure as he searched for the right words, and Rogan, who has worked for the UFC since 1997, believes it has to do with more than just "personal issues."

In an interview on The Opie & Anthony Show (via FightersOnlyMag.com), Rogan said he believes St-Pierre has suffered brain damage from his fights and should seriously consider retiring.

"I think Georges should retire. One of the reasons I think Georges should retire is he was on my podcast and he was talking about being abducted by aliens," Rogan said. "I was going, 'You think you've been abducted by aliens?' He starts talking about missing time. He started talking about driving his car and all of a sudden he's at home and he has no idea how he got there. I think it's head kicks [making him forget things].

"That fight [with Hendricks], he had some serious memory loss. I think he's taken too many shots. An interesting statistic is that Georges has taken more punches and kicks in the last three fights than any of his fights, ever. In fact, 50 percent of the shots he's taken his entire career were in the last three fights. I think he should get out. I know the UFC probably doesn't want to hear me say that. I know that could be a huge rematch."

It's a frightening concept and adds a new wrinkle into post-UFC 167 speculation about GSP's future. No one can question the dangers associated with mixed martial arts, but Rogan's comments come at a time when concussions and brain trauma are at the forefront of athletic concerns.

In August, the National Football League paid out $765 million to settle a lawsuit filed by 75 former players citing the harmful effects of brain injuries suffered during their careers. And that's in the NFL, where athletes have protective equipment to help curtail such injuries. No one can dispute the violent impact that football players endure each day on the field, however, they aren't repeatedly taking overhand rights, uppercuts, or leg kicks to the head.

Unlike the NFL, where protective equipment is constantly evolving in an effort to keep athletes safe, what can be done in MMA?

Elite wrestler Jordan Burroughs, an Olympic gold medalist, recently made headlines when, after contemplating competing in MMA after the 2016 Olympics, he wrote on Twitter: "MMA is brutal. Great sport, but not for me. I will never step foot in the Octagon."

St-Pierre (25-2-0, eight KO/TKOs), who hasn't finished a fight since B.J. Penn's corner threw in the towel in the fourth round at UFC 94 in 2009, has literally taken that brutality on the chin longer than any other fighter in UFC history. "Rush" has won nearly half his fights by decision and has logged a promotion-record 5 hours, 28 minutes, and 12 seconds inside the Octagon. Penn is second with 5:03.51, followed by Tito Ortiz at 5:00:53. For reference, GSP has spent nearly three hours in the cage since UFC 94 fighting five-rounders with the best welterweights in the world.

And his latest fight proved to be his biggest challenge.

"Oh yeah, without a doubt my toughest fight," St-Pierre told Rogan after the bout. "I lost memory a little bit in the fight. I couldn't see with one of my eyes. He really messed me up. I need a vacation right now."

St-Pierre has already put his stamp on the sport through his welterweight dominance. He has defended the belt nine times and has won 12 consecutive fights. He doesn't have anything left to prove.

Perhaps Rogan is right. Maybe GSP should retire. It may prove to be a good decision -- and the safest one.

St-Pierre deserves to be remembered for his accomplishments in the Octagon, not what he sustained while doing it.

But that's his call.

[shiznak]

Apparently, there's going to be a rematch during Memorial Day weekend.

[Grapefruits]

GSP, Hendricks get UFC 167 medical suspensions

Looks can be deceiving. Despite suffering a multitude of facial lacerations in his controversial win over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 over the weekend, Georges St-Pierre has been medically suspended for just 45 days by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

St-Pierre is suspended until Jan. 1, 2014 with no contact until Dec. 17. It’s undetermined when or if GSP will return to the cage anytime soon, as the welterweight champ suggested after his win that he needed to take some time off from the sport.

Meanwhile, Hendricks could miss as much as six months with a possible knee injury. The 30-year-old must have his right knee cleared by an orthopedic physician before he can resume competition; he is suspended 30 days with no contact until Dec. 8.

Flyweight Ali Bagautinov (feet), plus light-heavyweights Gian Villante (hands) and Cody Donovan (hand), could also be out six months unless they get clearance from orthopedic physicians.

GSP’s Canadian teammate, Rory MacDonald, received a 30-day medical suspension after his split decision loss to Robbie Lawler in which he absorbed 44 significant strikes.

For a full list, go here: http://www.sportsnet...al-suspensions/

Edited November 23, 2013 by Grapefruits

[Raoul Duke]

Don't know if anyone else has heard, but UFC Heavyweight Shane Del Rosario is on life support in the hospital with little brain activity. Went into cardiac arrest at his own home yesterday. His roomate, Ian "Uncle Creepy" McCall gave him CPR on the spot, but sounds like he's pretty much a goner. Sad sad stuff....

http://o.canada.com/sports/mma-crossfire-ufc-heavyweight-fighter-shane-del-rosario-passes-away-at-30-years-old/

[Raoul Duke]

Aaaaaand there's the greatest HW fight in UFC history!! Wow!! Good call on the draw too. There shouldn't be a loser in that bout.

And what a beauty KO for Shogun!! Great to see him get at least one more win!

Also.... Pat Barry needs to be cut now. Dude's brain is probably scrambled already.

[Captain Aerosex]

Aaaaaand there's the greatest HW fight in UFC history!! Wow!! Good call on the draw too. There shouldn't be a loser in that bout.

And what a beauty KO for Shogun!! Great to see him get at least one more win!

Also.... Pat Barry needs to be cut now. Dude's brain is probably scrambled already.

When Bigfoot and Mark Hunt shook hands and hugged at the start of the 5th round and then went immediately back to war…unbelievable.

[themcdeal]

Good god that shogun ko was a thing of beauty

[DollarAndADream]

Shogun was a nut in that fight!

Pat Barry....dummied again. Too many hits to the head, that guy.

Bigfoot/Hunt. Omg that was intense. They can BOTH take a hit to the head for sure! Crazy how drained they were in rounds 4+5.

Man, nobody has the cardio and endurance that Velasquez does.

[canucks3322]

GSP is set to due a meet and greet on Friday and he's going to answers questions as well

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/georges-st-pierre-to-announce-future-plans-friday-1.2458529

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1883658-gsp-expected-to-make-announcement-on-future-at-friday-press-conference

Georges St-Pierre will shed light on his future later this week in Quebec City.

There has been a question-mark hanging over the UFC welterweight champion since his controversial win over No. 1 contender JohnyHendricks last month at UFC 167. St-Pierre said immediately after the fight that he needed time away from his sport to take care of personal matters and ponder his future.

It appears the 32-year-old from Montreal has made up his mind.

St-Pierre, currently on vacation in Dubai, confirmed by text to The Canadian Press that he will be announcing his future Friday.

As of Monday, even the UFC was in the dark as to their pay-per-view king's plans. UFC president Dana White told The Canadian Press that he was letting St-Pierre "have his time."

The unlikely venue is a skating rink at a Quebec City mall. St-Pierre's manager, Rodolphe Beaulieu, said it was a previously scheduled appearance, with the fighter slated to meet fans and sponsors.

St-Pierre will also take questions briefly from the media. While Beaulieu said St-Pierre was not making an announcement per se, he said the champion will answer questions.

St-Pierre (25-2) has not lost since April 2007, dominating the 170-pound division while becoming one of Canada's best-known athletes.

Split decision

His split decision win over Hendricks on Nov. 16 in Las Vegas extended his string of victories to 12, the longest current run in the UFC. It was his ninth successful title defence and ninth straight title defence, one behind former middleweight champion Anderson Silva in each category. And it was his 14th championship fight, one behind Randy Couture.

The victory also moved GSP past Silva for most wins in UFC title bouts at 12.

St-Pierre also extended his UFC mark for most championship rounds fought to 52.

'I need to think. I have stuff going on in my life...This is my personal life,'

- George St. Pierre

But many, including White, scored the last fight for Hendricks. And St-Pierre's post-fight remarks about taking a break infuriated the UFC boss, who calmed down after meeting privately with the fighter.

The champion has not detailed the personal issues at play.

"I need to think. I have stuff going on in my life ... This is my personal life," St-Pierre told the post-fight news conference. "I cannot speak to you about this. You're a reporter, I know your job is to make things public. But I have a personal life, I keep personal some of my stuff."

A TMZ report said the champion is dealing with a family illness and a personal issue.

White told The Canadian Press that St-Pierre had told him the report was not true.

After meeting the champion privately after the fight, White said St-Pierre's issues "aren't as bad as he thinks they are."

"Yeah, we'll get through this," he added.

St-Pierre does not need to fight again. He is financially set, thanks to millions made in the cage and endorsements with the likes of Under Armour and Bacardi.

Should he decide to keep fighting, a lucrative rematch with Hendricks awaits.