GSP beats Michael Bisping, says he ‘did it for the challenge’

Georges St-Pierre had a historic win over Michael Bisping at UFC 217 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.

St-Pierre returned to the Octagon for the first time since 2013 and stepped up in weight. A longtime UFC Welterweight champ, GSP submitted Bisping to capture the UFC Middleweight Championship.

With the win, GSP joins Conor McGregor, BJ Penn, and Randy Couture as the only fighters in UFC history to become champion in two different weight classes.

“This is not my real weight, I did it for the challenge,” St-Pierre told Joe Rogan in his interview after the fight.

There were many questions surrounding St-Pierre entering Saturday’s fight. The two centered around both his lengthy absence from fighting, as well as his step up in weight. He answered both without issue.

GSP dominated from the start and looked like his typically sound self. He was dictating pace and not getting hit much in the first round. He got a takedown in the second but ended up with a cut on his nose. In the third, he dropped Bisping and then started raining down elbows. Though he was unable to finish Bisping with elbows, he pounced in for a submission and won by rear naked choke.

The way GSP ended the fight was notable; from 2009-2013, St-Pierre went seven straight fights where he won by a decision. This was his first submission win since 2007.