Mike Chiappetta: GSP owes return to no one
The split decision in the UFC 167 main event generated controversy, but then Georges St-Pierre whipped fans and the media…
The split decision in the UFC 167 main event generated controversy, but then Georges St-Pierre whipped fans and the media into a frenzy, saying after the fight that he needed some time to step away from the sport for unnamed personal reasons. UFC president Dana White was not impressed with the idea, and at the post-fight press conference said that as champion St-Pierre owed the promotion, the fans, and Hendricks a rematch, if he did not retire.
UFC president Dana White’s words have been miscronstrued in some corners. White has a policy of long standing that any UFC fighter who wants to retire, absolutely should retire. Further, White has accelerated the retirement of some fighters were appeared to be pushing too far. What White took issue with was GSP’s discussion of taking a break of unknown duration.
“You owe it to the fans, you owe it to that belt, you owe to this company, and you owe it to Johny Hendricks to give him that opportunity to fight again,” said White, crucially adding “unless you’re going to retire.”
In his latest piece for Fox Sports, Mike Chiapetta disagrees, and argues that after more UFC wins than anyone in history, the champion can take a break if he wants to.
Georges St-Pierre does not owe a quick return to the Octagon to anyone. Not to Johny Hendricks, not to the UFC, not to the fans, not even to himself. After nearly a decade as a prizefighter, with most of them spent at the very top fending off hungry challengers, he has earned a rest, for as long as he wants, without any real explanation. If he wants to go on vacation, or learn a new language or lounge on the beach, or simply get fat and happy, he should do so.
Fighting is not a sport that you can do well half-heartedly. It is not baseball or basketball, where you can sit on the bench and collect a paycheck for showing up. It is grueling and taxing, both physically and mentally. If he doesn’t want to jump right back into a rematch with Johny Hendricks right now, for whatever the reason, he should walk away for however long he deems necessary. In fact, he owes it to himself to, despite UFC president Dana White’s contention that any delay would be shirking his responsibilities as champion.