Georges St-Pierre Doesn’t Care That UFC 217 Tickets Aren’t Selling
UFC commentator Joe Rogan recently made headlines when he said that UFC 217, which is set to be headlined by a middleweight title fight between champion Michael Bisping and returning former longtime welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, isn’t selling well.
That may or may not be true, but either way, it doesn’t seem to bother St-Pierre, who hasn’t competed since scoring a controversial split decision victory over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 in November 2013.
Speaking on the topic during a recent media day in Montreal, “Rush” said that he cares more about winning the fight than he does about the money and the recognition:
“I do not focus on that,” St-Pierre today told MMAjunkie. “I don’t even care. I don’t care. I would rather make zero dollars and win my fight than make $10 million and lose my fight. This is my word, and I swear it’s true. It’s always been like that, even when I was poor. I want to win, and I don’t care about (money or recognition). They’re going to know me after I win.”
As one of the biggest pay-per-view (PPV) draws in the history of the sport, St-Pierre will be well-compensated, but given his competitive nature, his comments don’t seem too far-fetched.
Having never competed at middleweight before, St. Pierre will be facing a tough test in the durable and larger Bisping. And although he’s afraid to fail, “Rush” said that he’s ‘happy’ to be in the position that he’s in:
“I want to win the title,” St-Pierre said. “I’m happy that I got everything lined up for a fight and it’s the best training I can do and lifestyle and everything. I’m happy to be here. I’m very scared and stressed and afraid to fail, but that feeling makes me better. I’m happy to be here.”
Some have questioned St. Pierre’s chances against “The Count,” but the fact of the matter is that the Canadian is one of the best fighters of all-time. If he returns in peak form, he certainly has the ability to defeat Bisping.
How do you expect the fight to play out, and are you excited for it?
