JUST THINK ABOUT IT...
Former welterweight Champion, George St-Pierre (25-2)
Soooooo GSP technically didn't retire from the UFC after he fought Johny Hendricks (17-5), which caused a lot of stir with the judge's decision.
It was a VERY tough fight but the judges scored the fight to GSP when it seemed pretty clear that Hendricks ended up however, he didn't get his hand raised in the end.
The stress of that continued with questions having to be answered about the fight and future career plans, George seemed to be weighed down from it all at that particular moment. He was taking some much-needed time off from fighting to focus on personal matters, but during UFC Tonight this week on FS1, GSP stated that he never lost the desire to fight.
The training has continued ever since. With his extensive karate background, George has trained a lot in Muay Thai, which you can see in all of his fights. The power kicks and clean strikes. GSP didn't leave because he lost a fight. He is STILL a champion in a lot of people's eyes. They still talk about him in the sport as if he never left and the skills mostly climbed up the ladder since.
Welterweight, Nick Diaz (26-10)
The famous Diaz brother, Nick, just got back in the game after an 18-month ban was lifted for a test coming back positive for marijuana. Even though he hasn't fought since this seems like the perfect time for Nick to come back inside the octagon.
The Stockton native has been around the fighting game for so long and he has the skills to back it up. He is a very smart but passive fighter. Nick seems very in the moment when he fights and reacts to what tends to come at him when it happens.
The last fight he had against Anderson Silva (33-8) seemed pure Diaz style. Using a lot of Silva's own taunts against him. Maybe in a way that could of costing him the fight, but who knows.
Either way, he has had time to decompress and figure out a game plan if he has to for when he comes back inside the cage. His boxing game is just a strong as his BJJ and it is time to showcase that.
SO WHAT DO I THINK OF ALL THIS??
Diaz wants that redemption while GSP wants to prove to the fans that he never left the sport. When they first fought during UFC 158 it was a 5 round brawl, where GSP ended up winning by decision. A lot of things have happened during that time and they both have been away from the cage for a certain amount of time.
The stakes are real and the money is real if this rematch could happen.
FUNNY ENOUGH...
GSP got a visit from the USADA and got tested. From there you have to wait about 4 months before you can actually fight. SURPRISINGLY that timeframe lands right before UFC 206, which sets in Toronto. That also happens to be the hometown of GSP.
WHAT. BETTER. TIME.
Even though he is the former Champion I don't know how I feel if he came back to fight for a title belt right away after all this time. It makes a little bit more sense to get his feet dirty against a Diaz brother because I think that will really set the tone for the welterweight division.
There have been so many surprises this year that I don't see how this fight and that ironic timeframe can leave me to think anything else.
I WANT IT SO BAD.