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I prefer the GSP/Serra rubber match, but whatever.
The super-fight between UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre and UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva may finally come to fruition in 2011, according to UFC President Dana White himself.
In a Q&A with troops at Fort Hood on Friday ahead of Saturday's UFC Fight for the Troops 2 event, White revealed that fight is now only contingent on the two champions making one more successful title defense in their respective divisions.
"[If Anderson Silva] wins that fight on the 5th, then Georges St. Pierre needs to beat Jake Shields in Toronto," White said, responding to a question from one of the Troops. "If that happens then we're probably going to do that fight. So if they both win then that fight makes all the sense in the world."
And that could mean the end of GSP's reign of the welterweight division, as White echoed statements made by the Champion in the past about a move up to the middleweight division.
Said White, "Georges St.Pierre said he would move [up] to 185 lbs. and stay there, and not go back to [welterweight]."
It still depends on both fighters defending their belts, but it appears the UFC is as close as they've ever been in terms of willingness to put that fight on. Should both fighters defend their titles in February and April, respectively, that fight could come before the end of 2011.
Penick's Analysis: This would be an incredible headlining fight for UFC Rio in August, but I think it's going to take a little longer to come together after St. Pierre's bout with Jake Shields. He has said he wants to put on the mass to be a more natural fit in the middleweight division, and that's going to likely require longer than four months to prepare for. So it comes down to whether or not Silva will want to sit out of action for seven or eight months, but I think that fight would likely come between late September and early November, depending on how quickly St. Pierre can get up in weight and feel comfortable there. But if he vacates the welterweight belt, it will certainly make things open up in that division. He has cleaned that division out, and will have almost entirely if he defeats Shields, so it would be as good a time as any to make a permanent move if that's what his plan is.
The super-fight between UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre and UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva may finally come to fruition in 2011, according to UFC President Dana White himself.
In a Q&A with troops at Fort Hood on Friday ahead of Saturday's UFC Fight for the Troops 2 event, White revealed that fight is now only contingent on the two champions making one more successful title defense in their respective divisions.
"[If Anderson Silva] wins that fight on the 5th, then Georges St. Pierre needs to beat Jake Shields in Toronto," White said, responding to a question from one of the Troops. "If that happens then we're probably going to do that fight. So if they both win then that fight makes all the sense in the world."
And that could mean the end of GSP's reign of the welterweight division, as White echoed statements made by the Champion in the past about a move up to the middleweight division.
Said White, "Georges St.Pierre said he would move [up] to 185 lbs. and stay there, and not go back to [welterweight]."
It still depends on both fighters defending their belts, but it appears the UFC is as close as they've ever been in terms of willingness to put that fight on. Should both fighters defend their titles in February and April, respectively, that fight could come before the end of 2011.
Penick's Analysis: This would be an incredible headlining fight for UFC Rio in August, but I think it's going to take a little longer to come together after St. Pierre's bout with Jake Shields. He has said he wants to put on the mass to be a more natural fit in the middleweight division, and that's going to likely require longer than four months to prepare for. So it comes down to whether or not Silva will want to sit out of action for seven or eight months, but I think that fight would likely come between late September and early November, depending on how quickly St. Pierre can get up in weight and feel comfortable there. But if he vacates the welterweight belt, it will certainly make things open up in that division. He has cleaned that division out, and will have almost entirely if he defeats Shields, so it would be as good a time as any to make a permanent move if that's what his plan is.
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