A lot has changed since former UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre last fought in the UFC.
For starters, there’s the UFC’s new Reebok apparel deal that kicked in last year, banning fighters from pursuing fight night sponsors and cage banners.
Then, the UFC added USADA to the mix, requiring all fighters to be accounted for at all times for random drug testing.
Also among the recent policy changes, is the UFC’s new early morning weigh-ins. The UFC now wants fighters to weigh-in first thing in the morning on the eve of fight night, and that’s something GSP thinks is a major mistake.
Talking to MMAJunkie, GSP stated,
“I think the new rule of doing the weigh-in earlier is bad because it makes the fighter cut more weight. They have more time for recuperation before the fight. I think it’s the worst thing they could do. It’s good for rehydration because you have more time, but if you know you have more time, you’ll cut more weight. I think it’s bad. I think it’s very bad.”
“You could do (more weight classes), or you could the weigh-in over several days so everyone will stay in their weight class. 30 days before, every week you have to weigh-in, on the day of the fight you have to weigh in. That would make sense. It’s always been an issue and it is what it is.”
This year’s return trip to Madison Square Garden is proof the UFC can still deliver a stacked mega-card, with all the bells and whistles.
Set to headline next week’s MSG card, Georges “Rush” St-Pierre returns to the Octagon for the first time in over four years. He will face off against the UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping in the UFC 217 main event, on pay-per-view.
Also on the night’s fight card is a long-awaited bantamweight title fight between former teammates Cody Garbrandt and T.J. Dillasaw. And a strawweight title fight between Joanna Jedrzerjczyk and “Thug” Rose Namajunas.
