GSP vacates title, undisputed champ Whittaker vs. Luke Rockhold headlines UFC 221

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: imhungry4444
Date: December 07, 2017 at 09:49 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/gsp-vacates-title-undisputed-champ-whittaker-vs-luke-rockhold-headlines-ufc-221.71980/

Update
: UFC has officially announced that Georges St-Pierre has vacated the middleweight title resulting in Robert Whittaker becoming the undisputed champion.
The UFC appears to be moving on with its middleweight division.
The promotion is on the verge of officially booking
Robert Whittaker
vs.
Luke Rockhold
for
UFC 221
on Feb. 10 in Perth, Western Australia, MMAFighting.com has learned. It is unclear at this time whether the fight will be for Whittaker’s interim 185-pound title or Georges St-Pierre’s official one, however,
St-Pierre
’s
recent comments
seem to suggest it would be for the official belt.
“I’m not sure if I compete I will go back at 185,” St-Pierre, who was r
ecently diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, told TSN on Wednesday. “I don’t think so.”
St-Pierre did not immediately respond when contacted by MMAFighting.com.
The Whittaker-Rockhold bout is currently expected to serve as the main event.
Whittaker (19-4), who fights out of Australia, has won his last eight fights in a row. He won the interim title in July when he defeated
Yoel Romero
via unanimous decision.
Rockhold (16-3), the former Strikeforce and UFC middleweight champion, got back on track in September when he defeated Dave Branch. That fight marked Rockhold’s first since he lost the UFC belt to
Michael Bisping
over a year ago.
The event will take place at Perth Arena and will mark the promotion’s first in the region.
Click to expand...

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: John8204
Date: December 07, 2017 at 10:05 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/gsp-vacates-title-undisputed-champ-whittaker-vs-luke-rockhold-headlines-ufc-221.71980/

God I hope Whittaker wins I do not want Rockhold to win and Bisping to pipe up.
"Oy how bout we finish tha trilgy"

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: opti
Date: December 07, 2017 at 10:14 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/gsp-vacates-title-undisputed-champ-whittaker-vs-luke-rockhold-headlines-ufc-221.71980/

John8204 said:
God I hope Whittaker wins I do not want Rockhold to win and Bisping to pipe up.
"Oy how bout we finish tha trilgy"
Click to expand...
oh jesus...
Luckily for you he just got knocked out by a guy who was barely in the top 10.
185 is in a good place. Whitaker's current win streak is legit as f---, and adding Rockhold to that would be a big deal.

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: MysterLynch
Date: December 07, 2017 at 10:18 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/gsp-vacates-title-undisputed-champ-whittaker-vs-luke-rockhold-headlines-ufc-221.71980/

Well, I will give GSP credit for not holding up the title for months.
At this point, the UFC should get Conor to drop his title and make Conor/GSP. Both weight classes could move on and the UFC, Conor and GSP could all make a s--- ton of money, I think that fight would hit 2 million buys.
Whitaker beats Rockhold. The beast that bested Yoel and Jacare will stop Rockhold.

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: imhungry4444
Date: December 07, 2017 at 10:26 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/gsp-vacates-title-undisputed-champ-whittaker-vs-luke-rockhold-headlines-ufc-221.71980/

(no content)

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: holmezy
Date: December 07, 2017 at 10:32 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/gsp-vacates-title-undisputed-champ-whittaker-vs-luke-rockhold-headlines-ufc-221.71980/

Rockhard getting slept here within the first two rounds.

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: Jak
Date: December 07, 2017 at 11:00 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/gsp-vacates-title-undisputed-champ-whittaker-vs-luke-rockhold-headlines-ufc-221.71980/

As UFC fans we get wins all the way around. We got Bisping Ko-ing Rockhold, rematching Hendo and taking another H-bomb. A super fight with GSP that turned out amazingly fun, and now we get the rightful MW title fight between Rockhold and Whittaker.
Woot woot!

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: Gnarcore
Date: December 07, 2017 at 11:03 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/gsp-vacates-title-undisputed-champ-whittaker-vs-luke-rockhold-headlines-ufc-221.71980/

"undisputed"

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: John8204
Date: December 07, 2017 at 11:06 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/gsp-vacates-title-undisputed-champ-whittaker-vs-luke-rockhold-headlines-ufc-221.71980/

Gnarcore said:
"undisputed"
Click to expand...
Whittaker is a year away from
cleaning out the division
you best believe he's the undisputed champion.

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: Neonep
Date: December 07, 2017 at 11:18 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/gsp-vacates-title-undisputed-champ-whittaker-vs-luke-rockhold-headlines-ufc-221.71980/

Whittaker is going to wrap his knuckles around Rockhold's chin and do him worse than Bisping did.

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: Gnarcore
Date: December 07, 2017 at 11:23 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/gsp-vacates-title-undisputed-champ-whittaker-vs-luke-rockhold-headlines-ufc-221.71980/

John8204 said:
Whittaker is a year away from
cleaning out the division
you best believe he's the undisputed champion.
Click to expand...

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: TitiDuru
Date: December 08, 2017 at 12:11 AM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/gsp-vacates-title-undisputed-champ-whittaker-vs-luke-rockhold-headlines-ufc-221.71980/

I hope Robert wins - he is a likeable guy. Almost too good for UFC. I voted for who I want to win (Robert Whittaker) - not sure how this is going to end though... Fingers crossed.

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: Neonep
Date: December 08, 2017 at 12:39 AM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/gsp-vacates-title-undisputed-champ-whittaker-vs-luke-rockhold-headlines-ufc-221.71980/

TitiDuru said:
I hope Robert wins - he is a likeable guy. Almost too good for UFC. I voted for who I want to win (Robert Whittaker) - not sure how this is going to end though... Fingers crossed.
Click to expand...
Pretty much everybody likes Whittaker and Rockhold is full of himself.

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: london209
Date: December 08, 2017 at 01:23 AM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/gsp-vacates-title-undisputed-champ-whittaker-vs-luke-rockhold-headlines-ufc-221.71980/

Don't nobody want to see that cry baby rockhold with the belt after he disrespected it when he had it
Hope he has a long flight home with a nose like a Tetris peice

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: SpiderGOAT
Date: December 08, 2017 at 01:42 AM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/gsp-vacates-title-undisputed-champ-whittaker-vs-luke-rockhold-headlines-ufc-221.71980/

(no content)

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: BlairBones
Date: December 08, 2017 at 07:39 AM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/gsp-vacates-title-undisputed-champ-whittaker-vs-luke-rockhold-headlines-ufc-221.71980/

I am glad the middleweight division is going back to "normal." The only thing after this fight is who is up next?
Weidman, Gastelum and Brunson are the only ones on winning streaks. Weidman is only a 1W streak with 3 preceding losses. Gastelum is on a 1W streak, 3 out of last 4 by KO, but his loss is to Weidman just a few months ago. That leaves Brunson. He is fighting Jacare. If he somehow pulls that off, Derek Brunson would make sense... except that Whittaker knocked him out two fights before his title shot.
I hope they book something along the lines of Weidman-Hall and Gastelum-Jotko in the meantime. At least one of Weidman/Gastelum should win and set up a number 1 contender. If they both win, then it's likely Weidman up next.

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: opti
Date: December 08, 2017 at 09:35 AM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/gsp-vacates-title-undisputed-champ-whittaker-vs-luke-rockhold-headlines-ufc-221.71980/

John8204 said:
Whittaker is a year away from
cleaning out the division
you best believe he's the undisputed champion.
Click to expand...
I hadn't realized how hot his current streak is with wins over brunson, jacare, and romero until I double checked his fight finder. Good luck to anybody running that gauntlet.
185 is as hot as ever imo.

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: Flound
Date: December 08, 2017 at 09:52 AM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/gsp-vacates-title-undisputed-champ-whittaker-vs-luke-rockhold-headlines-ufc-221.71980/

John8204 said:
...
cleaning out the division
...
Click to expand...
Always one of the sillier things said by MMA fans....

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: TapEmOut
Date: December 08, 2017 at 10:08 AM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/gsp-vacates-title-undisputed-champ-whittaker-vs-luke-rockhold-headlines-ufc-221.71980/

Whitaker takes this IMO
Rockhold seems to struggle against good hands if he can't get the takedown for his beautiful ground game and Whitaker has excellent TDD

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: DoctorStoppage
Date: December 08, 2017 at 03:03 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/gsp-vacates-title-undisputed-champ-whittaker-vs-luke-rockhold-headlines-ufc-221.71980/

BlairBones said:
I am glad the middleweight division is going back to "normal." The only thing after this fight is who is up next?
Weidman, Gastelum and Brunson are the only ones on winning streaks. Weidman is only a 1W streak with 3 preceding losses. Gastelum is on a 1W streak, 3 out of last 4 by KO, but his loss is to Weidman just a few months ago. That leaves Brunson. He is fighting Jacare. If he somehow pulls that off, Derek Brunson would make sense... except that Whittaker knocked him out two fights before his title shot.
Click to expand...
This is the downside to the middleweight title's last few years, which were marked by champs taking long breaks due to injury (Weidman) or paycheck-hunting ducking (Bisping). It created this virtual round-robin system for the rest of the top 10 when they had no choice but to just keep fighting each other, and thus numerous contenders got knocked down the ladder. (No reason Jacare and Romero shouldn't have gotten title shots already, in Jacare's case even as long as three years ago.) Now that one guy, Whittaker, finally emerged from that mix and proved himself as the champion, he's got no one left to fight.