UFC 217: GSP chokes out Michael Bisping to win middleweight title
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MMA legend Georges St-Pierre made a spectacular return to the UFC with a third-round submission win over Britain’s Michael Bisping to win the UFC middleweight championship on a dramatic night at Madison Square Garden.
Former UFC welterweight champion St-Pierre walked away from the sport four years ago after dominating the UFC’s 170lb division.
And the Canadian superstar looked like he hadn’t missed a beat as he returned, out-striking the Brit in the opening exchanges and taking him down in the final minute of the first round.
Bisping looked to step in and land strikes of his own in the second round and, after recovering from a St-Pierre takedown, started to push the pace on the Canadian as the second round came to a close.
Showing signs of tiredness, St-Pierre took down the Brit in the third, only for Bisping to score significantly with elbows from his back, opening up a nasty cut on the bridge of St-Pierre’s nose.
But the fight turned decisively in St-Pierre’s favour when, with Bisping looking to close in and secure the round, the former welterweight champion dropped the British fighter with a huge left hook, then unloaded a fierce flurry of elbows.
Bisping managed to fend off the Canadian’s attacks to keep himself in the fight but, with St-Pierre closing in on a TKO stoppage, the challenger swiftly transitioned to a rear-naked choke and put Bisping to sleep, with the Brit refusing to tap out.
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“I don’t have the words in my mouth right now. It’s a dream come true,” said an elated St-Pierre after the fight.
“He hit me very hard. For a few times, I got stunned, but man, I would not like to do that fight again!
“Michael is the toughest guy I’ve fought. I’ve been a fan of this man. He’s true example of hard work and perseverance in the sport.”
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A defeated Bisping was in philosophical mood after losing his title, saying: “He has a hell of a squeeze!
“Georges was the better man tonight. No excuses.”
And despite losing his title, the Brit confirmed that he wasn’t ready to hang up his gloves just yet. “I’m not done,” he insisted.
Dillashaw reclaims the bantamweight belt
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The co-main event saw heated rivals collide as former champion TJ Dillashaw dramatically knocked out former training partner and team-mate Cody Garbrandt to reclaim the undisputed UFC bantamweight title.
Garbrandt started the better of the two and looked to have a significant advantage after dropping Dillashaw right at the end of the opening round, with only the buzzer saving the challenger from a first-round stoppage.
But Dillashaw composed himself in his corner, and came out throwing kicks in the second round with instant success.
A huge head kick dropped the champion, who managed to rally back to his feet. But that knockdown was enough to convince Dillashaw to step back into boxing range, where he eventually finished the fight.
A big right hook dropped Garbrandt and a flurry of ground strikes completed the victory as referee Dan Miragliotta waved off the contest.
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“He’s a hell of a fighter,” Dillashaw admitted. “He’s young and he’s going to be back. I’ll see him again.”
Dillashaw then set his sights on flyweight champion and pound-for-pound king Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson, saying he wanted to drop down a division and face the 125lb champion in a superfight.
“Demetrious Johnson, I’m coming for you,” he declared.“You’ve got that record that’s fake. You dodged me, and I’m coming for that belt and you know it.”
Namajunas stuns Jedrzejczyk to capture strawweight gold
And there was an even bigger shock in the women’s strawweight title bout, as ‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas went toe to toe with dominant world champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, dropping her twice en route to a stunning first-round knockout victory.
As you'd expect, the below embed contains hard-hitting footage from the octagon.
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Namajunas looked in control from the moment she stepped into the octagon, and went about her business with calmness as she held her own in the opening exchanges and dropped the champion with a solid right hand.
Jedrzejczyk managed to scramble back to her feet, but Namajunas walked down the champion and unloaded more strikes, dropping the Pole again and finishing her with ground strikes for a huge upset victory.
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Also on the main card, two-time welterweight title challenger Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson turned in a virtuoso striking performance to outscore Jorge Masvidal by unanimous decision.
Brazilian middleweight prospect Paulo ‘The Eraser’ Costa showcased his heavy-handed striking skills with a second-round stoppage of former UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks.
And outside the octagon, UFC flyweight champion and TJ Dillashaw target, Demetrious Johnson, turned in the photo of the night.
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The 5ft 3in fighter known as 'Mighty Mouse' was pictured alongside New York Knicks basketball star Kristaps Porzingis - the 7ft 1in Latvian has been nicknamed 'the Unicorn' for his combination of size and skill on the court.
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