For some reason, fight fans aren’t too hot on Michael Bisping defending his belt against Georges St-Pierre in UFC 217’s headliner.
Georges St-Pierre may well be the best fighter to ever grace an Octagon. He only has two losses on his record and has avenged both of them. He has defeated every challenger the shark tank that was the welterweight division during his title reign could throw at him and if he wins on Sunday morning, he will join Randy Couture, BJ Penn and Conor McGregor in the elite group of fighters who have become double UFC champions.
However, it has been four years since his last fight and nearly nine years since his last finish. The MMA landscape and its fanbase has changed dramatically since then. To use GSP’s own verbiage, his stock seems to have lowered significantly since the glory days.
Although, at the pre-fight press conference in Madison Square Garden, it appeared as though some genuine St-Pierre fanatics showed up to support the great Canadian.
GSP fan section here for the #UFC217 press conference pic.twitter.com/Ii46WNJJzv
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) November 2, 2017
The group of fans donned the karate gi and headband GSP used to wear for his pre-Reebok deal walkouts.
They chanted his name, they went apeshit and considering how little buzz this card is receiving compared to the promotion’s MSG debut at UFC 205 last year, this sight seemed just too good to be true.
Pretty damn lame, incredibly corny and quite embarrassing, but from a promotional standpoint, it all seemed too good to be true.
Who said the fans don't remember @GeorgesStPierre?!? #UFC217 pic.twitter.com/UqTBPD6PWL
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohn) November 2, 2017
Well, it turns out that’s exactly what it was. MMA Fighting’s Marc Raimondi was in the arena for the event and he had a few questions for these so-called GSP superfans.
It was all just some marketing ploy, they were paid to be there, Santa Claus isn’t real, there is no meaning of life and you were an accident.
Hate to be the bearer of bad news, all the same.
Those dressed-up “GSP fans” were part of a marketing campaign, by the way. They were paid to be there.
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) November 2, 2017
How sad is that!
