Chael Sonnen defends GSP's decision to vacate the belt

[DoopidyDawesome]

To hate GSP and love Conor simultaneously is the definition of a crazy ass bitch. You can still love GSP and hate Conor though because one has earned and defended titles multiple times and the other is a scared little bitch. Straight up haters are free to hate both but nobody gives a damn about those stupid fuckers. You are free to love both of them too but you're testing my tolerance for gays at this point.

 

[fzoid4454]

i get ur point but gsp isnt fighting whittaker, and never over bisbing who has the real belt.

No, you don't get the point. GSP isn't fighting Whittaker, he vacated the belt, so no one is waiting on him. My point is that if GSP, without a belt, fights a hundred guys, and Bisping, with the belt fights no one, then the division is held up. If GSP, without a belt decides not to fight for two years, and the champ continues to fight, the division is in a healthy state of activity.

The point is that it's the champ who can hold up the division, or keep it moving. Since GSP can't fight, his vacating the belt keeps it moving.

GSP not fighting doesn't stop Bisping from fighing anyone else. Bisping has the belt already.

The point is that anyone who claims he held up the division previously is talking stupidity.

 

[Takamine86]

My Nieces play that game. I'm more for...
View attachment 312487

Got that. Haven't beat it yet though. It's so massive i'm intimidated to even get started

 

[fortheo]

Ok, What I said originally said

"Ok, but if he fights again, he can fight. So he can return to MW, Correct?"

Meant for the bolded to be a question.

But to answer your question why MW. A fight at MW is better for GSP. Because he honors his word when he said that he signed the contract stating he'd defend his belt. Win or lose, a fight against Whitaker gains GSP nothing but respect.

If GSP can return but chooses to fight at WW, it makes it look like he used his illness to get out of defending against Whitaker. That is only IF GSP can fight again. Because Colitis is the reason he can't fight Whitaker. But if it turns out Colitis isn't stopping him from fighting other fighters in the future, is Colitis really stopping him from fighting Whitaker?

So that's my reasoning. So answer my questions. Just curious.

I want him at 170 because of the current circumstances—circumstances that have changed since GSP said he'd stay at MW. Colitis is a bowel and colon problem, asking GSP to stay at MW and eat up in weight, thus causing his colitis to flare up, is stupid in my opinion.

If you want him to fight at MW knowing full well that it's not his best weight class and it's bad for his disease simply because of something he said BEFORE he had that disease, then I think that's unreasonable.


A return at 170lbs seems like the reasonable choice for GSP, and there shouldn't be any shame in that considering the situation.

 

[HerpDerp]

The point is that anyone who claims he held up the division previously is talking stupidity.

Agreed.

I can see the other side of the coin as well though. If you look at things de facto, GSP's status as the biggest potential payday for Bisping kind of ensured that Bisping wouldn't take another fight as long as GSP kept up with the negotiations. That doesn't mean that it should be held against GSP for "holding up the division", as if having PPV leverage and being in negotiations with UFC for a longer period is forbidden or shameful.

 

[Chet Ubetcha]

[/implied "he's right, you know" meme]

 

[QcChopper]

Vacating the belt is literally turning down a challenge and not defending the belt.

He vacated the belt because he had no interest in fighting Whitaker. He didn't show interest in fighting Weidman or Rockhold either. He came out of retirement to move up to MW right when Bisping became champion. Despite signing a contract saying he would defend the MW belt. Despite saying in the past that if he moved up to MW, it would have to be a permanent move. He vacated the belt after beating Bisping.

The haters will hate either way. No matter what, we know this. But the rational MMA fans wouldn't have a problem waiting for GSP to recover IF he was intending to defend his MW strap. Whitaker wouldn't have a problem waiting either if GSP was intending to defend as it would be a big payday for him. Rational MMA fans would have a problem if GSP held the MW belt while deciding to fight McGregor or Woodley. Thus holding up the MW division. Because GSP wasn't planning to defend MW belt or fight Whitaker, he vacated the belt.

Still one of the greatest fighters of all time, but lets call it what it is. GSP was being opportunistic with his move to MW.

I get the gist of what you are saying and I can't really argue with your point of view but I want to add another one. We'll never know the real story but Georges has apparently had a very bad training camp and weight cut. Two weeks before the fight when Kristof Midoux said things like he had seen GSP and he didn't look good and should not have taken this fight and Georges replied in another interview that Kristof had seen him while he was suffering from gastroenteritis, which is very possible he thought he had because of the undiagnosed ulcerative colitis. He had to try moving up and it did not go well, he was force-feeding himself, puking regularly, pooping blood and having sever cramps, not to mention the actual weight he could keep on, according to Danaher who said GSP weighed 190.5 lbs the evening of the fight and that he used to come in at around 189 on fight night at WW and he wasn't even that big for a WW.

I absolutely can't deny that Georges was totally opportunistic taking this fight, but I call people hypocrites for crapping on Georges because he was opportunistic, I don't think anyone would have refused that fight. Don't hate the player, hate the game, Dana and WME for accepting this because anyone else in the same situation would have jumped on the chance. I get the hate, but I also get why.

The other thing that people seem to forget is that Georges took on Bisping which was still the reigning champ after a 4 year layoff after a second knee surgery and that around 3/4 of Sherdoggers thought he'd get starched, but now Bisping is just a bum according to many, who ironically picked him to win...

 

[SherdogGoat]

GSP is the classiest UFC champion ever. Good man.

 

[Takamine86]

I want him at 170 because of the current circumstances—circumstances that have changed since GSP said he'd stay at MW. Colitis is a bowel and colon problem, asking GSP to stay at MW and eat up in weight, thus causing his colitis to flare up, is stupid in my opinion.

If you want him to fight at MW knowing full well that it's not his best weight class and it's bad for his disease simply because of something he said BEFORE he had that disease, then I think that's unreasonable.


A return at 170lbs seems like the reasonable choice for GSP, and there shouldn't be any shame in that considering the situation.

He didn't all of sudden develop Colitis right after the Bisping fight. He more likely fought Bisping with it. I don't know how severe his Colitis is. But it's not eating more that would cause GSP flares, its what he eats that would irritate his bowels and cause flares. If it is a more severe case, than it won't make a difference either way, but if thats the case, he probably won't be able to compete.

There is no reasonable choice. Either way, he is going to be dealing with something. Fighting at 170 isn't smiles and rainbows either. At 170, the weight cut will be harder with his added size. Weight cutting in general doesn't seem like a good idea for someone with Colitis. While we are on weight cut, Roy Jones Jr. anyone?

If GSP is going to fight again, I think the best fight for GSP is at MW. Many can't see why. At least in a fight with Whitaker, GSP walks away with nothing but respect, win or lose. If he fights Woodley at WW, it will be the worst decision of his career.

 

[JSN]

He has a health condition.../QUOTE]oh you poor, simple, rube.

 

[unfinishable]

Vacating the belt is literally turning down a challenge and not defending the belt.

He vacated the belt because he had no interest in fighting Whitaker. He didn't show interest in fighting Weidman or Rockhold either. He came out of retirement to move up to MW right when Bisping became champion. Despite signing a contract saying he would defend the MW belt. Despite saying in the past that if he moved up to MW, it would have to be a permanent move. He vacated the belt after beating Bisping.

The haters will hate either way. No matter what, we know this. But the rational MMA fans wouldn't have a problem waiting for GSP to recover IF he was intending to defend his MW strap. Whitaker wouldn't have a problem waiting either if GSP was intending to defend as it would be a big payday for him. Rational MMA fans would have a problem if GSP held the MW belt while deciding to fight McGregor or Woodley. Thus holding up the MW division. Because GSP wasn't planning to defend MW belt or fight Whitaker, he vacated the belt.

Still one of the greatest fighters of all time, but lets call it what it is. GSP was being opportunistic with his move to MW.

What's wrong with that? Do you really think if Bisbing wasn't champ, he would never have come back? Gsp was trying to negotiate a come back with the UFC way before Bisbing was champ, it was just good timing for him.
When GSP came back, he signed a 4 fight contract and made it clear he didn't want to do another run like before. IMO, his original plan was Bisbing, Woodley, Conor and then ride off into the sunset, an epic way to finish your career and legacy. Either way, he wants to be choosy in his last few fights and you really can't blame him. He didn't come back to make another run, he just wants the bigger fights. I'm not going to say he would have fought Rockhold if he was champ, but Bisbing happened to be the one at the moment of his return and took advantage of it. Why not? It's a winnable fight for him.
GSP has put his time in the UFC, he has the most UFC titles and tied for the most wins as well. He helped the ufc grow and is a legend that can still fight at an elite level. Why not just let him finish his career the way he wants to, he is one of the few that have earned it.

 

[spannered]

People that ignore facts to blindly support fighters are the worst. GSP held up MW for 12 months before the fight. Jesus Christ people!

Bisping could have fought Romero when GSP hurt his eye. Just as GSP pulled out and the Romero fight was getting booked, Bisping needed knee surgery...and then he was vocal about fighting GSP on his return as their medical clearances lined up and they'd already done the world tour. By that point he interim fight with Romero/Whitakker was booked already.

The only difference GSP made, was that Bisping would have fought Rockhold instead of GSP at 216 (if he would have even accepted the fight) because Whitakker was off with surgery. Rockhold would have won (by most people's assessment), and we'd be looking at Whitakker/Rockhold for the same event anyway.

If you think about it, GSP literally didn't change anything as him or Rockhold would have won that night. At worst, if Rockhold lost, we'd be looking at GSP/Bisping on the NYE card instead as Whitakker won't be ready until late January. But lets be honest, Rockhold would not make the same mistake twice and would have walked through Bisping like he did in their first fight.

If that happened, Rockhold might have needed more time, and the unification title would have been potentially pushed back further. By GSP knocking Bisping out of the champ seat and then immediately relinquishing the belt, he literally freed the division up and let the true champ in Whitakker take the throne and fight the next legit contender in line.

GSP had nothing to do with Bisping holding up the belt. He pulled out of the Romero fight when GSP was unavailable due to needing a knee surgery. The only way GSP would have stalled things was by holding up the belt while he works out his colitis issue...he didn't, he handed the belt to the interim champ and life goes on its merry way.

 

[Kung Fu bb]

OH SNAP.....

This is SURE to trigger BOTH GSP haters and McGregor fans.

"You have TWELVE months of headlines. twelve months of photo-ops, twelve months of building that image of walking around with that title over your shoulder. Twelve months of talk, and stopping an ENTIRE DIVISION in its tracks.

Guys that are sacrificing, trying to reach goals, laying in bed at night, dreaming to be champion. You can stop it all, and do it for twelve months before anyone says a word about it. That's one option, OR there's the SECOND option, which is what Georges did.

Instead of stopping the division for an entire year, (Georges says), "I'm going to turn it (The title) over, and let the boys get on with it."

-Chael Sonnen



Chael says this was more of an experiment for GSP than anything else, and that although he was successful, he knows that this is not his true division.

And......Here......We.....Go!

You know, we´ve been a little too harsh on GSP about the whole situation. We like to crap on him because he chose to come back against Bisping instead of guys like Luke, Weidman, Whittaker or Romero. That's unfair. After further reflection, we have to agree that Bisping has always been a good MW, not the best, but a good one. He was not the best MW champion we´ve seen, but he was a tough MW going against a guy from the division below who was retired for 4 years. A tough, but winnable fight.

And after listening to Sonnen on this video, I just have to admit that he is absolutely right! GSP could be jamming a whole division right now exactly like Chael just said (like Conor is doing), but he chose not to.

We have to respect that.

 

[yeguiza]

TS just got chaelled!

 

[UFC=Pride]

Well said by Chael if your not going to defend vacate

 

[CriticalHit]

It was obvious that GSP wasn't comfortable at 185 in that fight, looked slow and his cardio wasn't there.

The point Chael makes about GSP doing the honourable thing and not milking the situation is spot on....and will be lost on the trolls.

Ulcerative Colitis will take the wind out of anyone's sails.

I tend to agree with Sonnen when he's being serious.

 

[discrawg]

Chael makes sense.

 

[Morris88]

Vacating the belt is literally turning down a challenge and not defending the belt.

He vacated the belt because he had no interest in fighting Whitaker. He didn't show interest in fighting Weidman or Rockhold either. He came out of retirement to move up to MW right when Bisping became champion. Despite signing a contract saying he would defend the MW belt. Despite saying in the past that if he moved up to MW, it would have to be a permanent move. He vacated the belt after beating Bisping.

The haters will hate either way. No matter what, we know this. But the rational MMA fans wouldn't have a problem waiting for GSP to recover IF he was intending to defend his MW strap. Whitaker wouldn't have a problem waiting either if GSP was intending to defend as it would be a big payday for him. Rational MMA fans would have a problem if GSP held the MW belt while deciding to fight McGregor or Woodley. Thus holding up the MW division. Because GSP wasn't planning to defend MW belt or fight Whitaker, he vacated the belt.

Still one of the greatest fighters of all time, but lets call it what it is. GSP was being opportunistic with his move to MW.

In the build up to the fight that's exactly what Bisping said. He said that Georges thought he was an easy fight and that's why he was doing it. In response, Georges didn't really deny it, he skirted round the issue by saying "Michael is the champion, he's the biggest fight for me right now".

Fair play to him, guy's got bills to pay, and I for one enjoyed the fight immensely. Surely no one really thought that GSP was back full-time?

 

[knock_you_out]

You don't have to hold up the division or vacate the belt. You can just fight the contender.

Or not, as in McGegor's case, LOL!

 

[SigSauer1911]

GSP was only interested in the MW title when Bisping became champ. He knew that was the easiest fight for him. He did exactly what he wanted to do. Become a two division champion and make another big payday. Mission accomplished. He wants no part of the real killer's at MW. As much as I dislike Luke, we all know Bisping got lucky. GSP knew what he was doing when he asked for that fight. I'm glad he let the belt go and the division isn't be held up.