UFC 158: Georges St-Pierre Defeats Nick Diaz, Who Teases Retirement [Video]
Welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre shut down “the most disrespectful human being” Nick Diaz at UFC 158 Saturday night.
GSP dominated Diaz throughout five rounds to emerge the victor by unanimous decision. Judges scored the contest 50-45, 50-45, 50-45 for the champion after 25:00 minutes of intense battle between the two fighters. Much of GSP’s victory consisted of what is now par for the course for the French-Canadian: takedowns, jabs, and positional dominance.
Diaz, disheartened by the loss, said the fight made him think about leaving the Octagon for good.
“I’m trying to retire, I’m trying to get out of this gig…. I’ve had more than 30-something fights. What am I going to do if I don’t get a rematch? I don’t want to fight any of these guys out here — they came in after me,” Diaz said after the fight. “Georges is the only one who … I’ve done everything I’ve set out to do — I’ve fought everybody who started when I did, my era, my generation.”
If Diaz is serious about leaving the UFC, don’t expect president Dana White to ask him to reconsider. Following Diaz’s announcement, White made no mention of Diaz getting a rematch against GSP, instead putting his attention on Johny Hendricks, who scored his own unanimous decision victory over Carlos Condit in the co-main event. The match was awarded the title of “Fight of the Night,” for which both fighters earned a $50,000 bonus.
“There’s no doubt Johny Hendricks deserves the next shot,” White said. “That fight was amazing tonight. I’m actually glad that it worked out that way. Those were the top guys to see who faces Georges St-Pierre. Johny Hendricks deserves it.”
GSP agreed that Hendricks deserved a shot at the belt, saying, “You’re the best man, and I’m interested in fighting the best guy, and it’s for the fans also. The fans want the two best men fighting, and I’m up for the challenge.”
St-Pierre added, “I think he deserves a title shot right now. He earned it.”
The last time GSP fought in the Octagon was November 17, 2012 at UFC 154, when he defeated Condit to retain his welterweight title. St-Pierre hadn’t fought in 18 months prior to that last fight, winning the match by unanimous decision.
Georges St-Pierre (24-2) has been the undisputed UFC welterweight champion since 2008, earning his title from Matt Serra at UFC 83. GSP has not been defeated inside the Octagon since April 7, 2007, when he lost the welterweight title to Serra at UFC 69. His only other loss was to Matt Hughes at UFC 50.
If Nick Diaz does retire, he’ll be leaving the UFC with a 26-9 record after a 12-year MMA career.
You can watch highlights of Georges St-Pierre vs. Nick Diaz below.
Do you think Nick Diaz should retire after his loss to Georges St-Pierre?
