Prior to each UFC fight card, Jay Primetown takes a look at some of the key contests at each event. In the latest installment, we look at the main event of UFC 217 as Georges St. Pierre returns from a four-year layoff to take on Michael Bisping for the middleweight title.
Michael Bisping (Record: 30-7, -110 Pickem, Power Ranking: A-)
The UFC middleweight champion is on perhaps the best run of form of his career. He’s won five fights in a row including beating Anderson Silva, Luke Rockhold, and most recently Dan Henderson back to back to back. His knockout of Rockhold was one of the biggest upsets of the year closing as a +525 underdog on Several Bookmakers.eu. His bout at UFC 217 is his second UFC title defense.
Michael Bisping is one of the hardest working fighters in the UFC and has been for a long time. He’s been fighting at a top ten level in the division for the better part of ten years. He’s a volume striker (4.44 significant strikes per minute) with solid hands and a strong kicking game. Outside of an all-around striking attack, his best attribute is his conditioning. Bisping quite possibly has the best work rate in the octagon of fighters in the upper weightclasses of the sport. He’ll push for all five rounds at an excellent pace. It’s very difficult to beat Bisping by decision because he simply out works opponents with volume and strikes landed over the course of a fight. He combines that with an underrated wrestling game. Bisping’s biggest issues have been his lack of punching power. Outside of his stunning knockout win over Luke Rockhold, he has struggled to finish opponents forcing him to go all the way to the scorecards. He’s struggled with fighters who can blitz him and offer more variety on the feet. The only two times he’s been knocked out in the octagon have been to heavy hitters who excel at quick bursts against opponents; Vitor Belfort and Dan Henderson. It’s imperative for Bisping to slow his opponents down and to limit the opportunity for them to blitz.
Georges St. Pierre (Record: 25-2, -110 Pickem, Power Ranking: B+)
Perhaps the greatest mixed martial artist of all time returns to the cage at UFC 217, Georges St. Pierre took a leave of absence from the sport in 2013 after a split decision victory over Johny Hendricks. St. Pierre currently has a twelve fight winning streak and hasn’t lost a fight in over ten years.
St. Pierre is one of the most well-rounded fighters in the sport and one could argue he was ahead of his time. He’s certainly not a power puncher by trade, but he has an excellent jab that he’s able to throw with real accuracy. St. Pierre has a strike accuracy of 53% which puts him close to top ten all time in the UFC. Where he truly stands out is striking defense. He has the single highest strike defense percentage (73%) in UFC history. He has only absorbed 1.38 significant strikes per minute; a very low number by any standard of MMA. As good as he is on the feet, he may be even better on the ground. While he doesn’t have the amateur accolades that others have in wrestling, he has proven to be as effective an offensive wrestler in MMA as anyone. He’s secured at least two takedowns against each opponent he has faced in his twelve fight winning streak. That includes takedowns secured against former NCAA Division I wrestling champions Johny Hendricks and Josh Koscheck. From a technical stand point, St. Pierre is excellent. Where the question marks lie are in his leave of absence from the sport. Towards the end of his prior UFC run, St. Pierre began to take some damage and wasn’t as dominant as he once was. His motivation for returning after such a long absence is unknown. What kind of skills or diminishment in level of ability St. Pierre has remains to be seen.
Matchup
The main event of UFC 217 is certainly a matchup that has a lot of name clout, but perhaps has even more question marks than any other title fight in recent memory. At his peak, Georges St. Pierre was the pound for pound best fighter in mixed martial arts. He’s arguably the greatest fighter of all time. If GSP is at his best, this is certainly a fight he can win. On the feet, I would expect a competitive bout. Bisping will throw higher volume, but St. Pierre does so well defensively that I think it would be a relative stalemate. Where St. Pierre has the advantage is in the grappling aspects of the sport. Bisping has improved his takedown defense, but it is certainly not elite. St. Pierre could have substantial time in top position and really take control of rounds. This is, of course, if St. Pierre is at the same level he was before he left the sport in 2013. And that’s where my doubts lie. Rarely does a fighter return from a long absence and have immediate success in a return. Even rarer is a fighter coming off a four year layoff and having the same kind of success. Combine that with returning and being put in the cage in a title fight against a high cardio, extremely game opponent. The cherry on top is that St. Pierre is fighting at middleweight for the first time in his career. How will his wrestling translate against arguably the biggest fighter he has ever faced? Those are real concerns for me. There are just so many question marks surrounding St. Pierre that it makes me side with Bisping in this bout. With Bisping, one knows what they are getting and it’s a fighter that has beaten some of the best in the division in recent years. At a pickem price, I like Bisping’s chances in this bout. It’s not a slam dunk as there are a lot of unknowns with St. Pierre, but a pickem price for a current champion with a good motor, all-around technique, and has a size advantage is one that I can get behind. Bisping is a worth a standard bet on this fight card.
