Dana White has confirmed that Georges St-Pierre will challenge Michael Bisping for the UFC Middleweight Championship at some point during the second half of 2017. Now isn't that just the greatest news you've ever heard?
Obviously not for some people, as there's been an extremely mixed response when it comes to how fans feel about this match-up being booked.
Many are upset about the fact that Romero and Rockhold aren't getting their chance at the title, meanwhile, others just feel as if it's not an interesting enough match-up and GSP doesn't deserve it.
Whichever camp you fall into, there's no denying that it'll rake in some pretty big pay-per-view numbers, especially considering how big St-Pierre was before he left.
There are so many elements to this that make it fascinating, and no matter what happens, fans can expect a pretty solid contest between the two legends of the sport. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but money talks and that's what is driving the hype for GSP vs. Bisping right now. If you don't like it, then tough, because this is happening.
With that in mind, let's take a look at five reasons why GSP vs. Bisping will be amazing.
#1 Atmosphere
It doesn't matter if this event is held in Vegas, UK, Toronto or on the moon - the atmosphere is going to be phenomenal. You have a truly hated Champion like Michael Bisping going up against one of the most loved fighters of all time in Georges St-Pierre. Is there a better good guy vs. bad guy tale than this in sports today? We don't think so.
Knowing that two huge names like this are going head to head is going to create a frenzy in whichever arena is selected, and every strike will feel that little bit more important. It's rare that you get that kind of superhero vs. supervillain like vibe at a UFC event, which is what is going to make this showdown feel all the more special.
Onto something that's true of most MMA fights.
#2 Unpredictability
Many feel as if Michael Bisping got lucky in his last two fights against Dan Henderson and Luke Rockhold, meanwhile, others believe that he's one of the most well-rounded fighters in the UFC. On the other hand, Georges St-Pierre hasn't fought in over three years and yet is still referred to as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.
Something has to give and there are so many different ways it can go.
Neither guy is really known for his knock out ability but Bisping did manage to take out Rockhold to win the title, and GSP will certainly feel as if he's got something to prove upon his return the Octagon. Neither man can afford to put a foot wrong, which is what makes it all the more intriguing.
Now to a point that could make or break the fight from a financial standpoint.
#3 Build-up
You just know that Bisping is going to rip into GSP one way or another. The guy will want to sell this fight so badly that he's going to do everything in his power to get under St-Pierre's skin. Whether he accomplishes that goal remains to be seen, but Josh Koscheck is living proof that it can happen and that GSP isn't afraid to get his hands dirty.
Everything is an uncertainty because as we've mentioned, GSP was like a God in the MMA world before his hiatus. Nobody quite knows what he's going to do, so every single aspect of the build up from the media tour to the weigh-ins will be scrutinised like never before.
If you thought McGregor gets a lot of publicity, wait until you see what they do for Georges.
Over to the age-old argument made by fans around the world.
#4 Fan expectations
We've already stated that a lot of fans are upset that it's not Rockhold or Romero getting the title shot and that makes sense. However, the bout, in general, has been getting some criticism as some people feel the two men don't match up well against each other.
Both have been accused of being boring in the past, and as such, many will come into the fight with low expectations.
Which, ironically, is the best thing that could happen for GSP and Bisping. Everyone underestimates their true capabilities inside the Octagon and because of that, they have the freedom to go out there and paint the ultimate masterpiece.
Playing things down to these fans will only make things all the more gratifying for us positive pollys who said from the start that this is going to be a war. We conclude with the most obvious point of all.
#5 GSP's return
Because come on, Georges St-Pierre is stepping back inside the Octagon. That's amazing no matter how many ways you look at it. For every person that claims he's overrated and past his prime, there are ten or twenty fans that insist he is still one of the top competitors in the world.
He's kept himself in phenomenal shape, is mentally prepared to come back and looks better than ever.
Whatever the result is when Michael Bisping squares off against Georges St-Pierre, the important thing that will remain after the pay-per-view goes off the air is that GSP is back in the world of mixed martial arts on a mainstream level. That's huge for the sport and it'll be talked about for years and years to come, which it should be.
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