The Final Words on UFC 217

By now, you’ve probably read everything you’ve wanted to read on UFC 217.

Then why did you click this column when it’s obviously a column on UFC 217? Not that I’m complaining. I’m just questioning your judgment.

Here are the final words on UFC 217. Until someone writes more words on the event. Then this column is just “Words on UFC 217.” But that’s not as catching.

Michael Bisping is Bad. Georges St-Pierre Should Make Money.

Not to take anything away from Georges St-Pierre, who looked really good for a 36-year-old who hasn’t fought in four years and has two reconstructed knees. But Michael Bisping isn’t a great fighter. I’m not sure he improved at all during his career. He got better, because it’s nearly impossible to do something for 20 years without getting a little better, but he never improved.

Watch every Michael Bisping fight in his career. Don’t actually do that. But recall every Michael Bisping fight. What did he improve on? What did he add to his arsenal? In what area did he have a significant advantage in?

Bisping was always in great shape and was tough. Those were his best qualities. And they won him a lot of fights, which is a credit to him and says a lot about how far you can go in the sport by being in shape and tough. But he was never a great fighter who made you take notice of what he did.

But props to Georges, he was the man on Saturday.

And I hope he makes the title even more meaningless by fighting Anderson Silva or Conor McGregor next. I know, I know. Robert Whittaker is the interim middleweight champion and deserves the title shot. Stop pretending like the titles mean anything and stop trying to make them mean something.

Titles don’t sell fights. Fighters and fights sell fights. St-Pierre vs. Whittaker is only sellable because of St-Pierre. St-Pierre vs. Silva or McGregor is sellable because of both fighters involved and the weight of their names.

St-Pierre didn’t come back to rule a division for years and take on all the top contenders. He came back to make a ton of money and take favorable match-ups. That’s why he decided on Bisping over Tyron Woodley. And that’s why he’d be smart to take Silva or McGregor over Whittaker.

Give Me Demetrious Johnson-TJ Dillashaw

Inject it right into my veins. I don’t care who wins the flyweight fight between Sergio Pettis and Henry Cejudo or the bantamweight fight between Dominick Cruz and Jimmie Rivera next month. If Dillashaw can make 125-pounds, make the fight. Have them meet in the middle at 130-pounds for all I care.

Cody Garbrandt made a interesting comment following his loss to Dillashaw. He said, “I am the better fighter” and while that seems funny based on the result, I get what he meant. Garbrandt looked great in the first round. Ten more seconds and he likely retains his title. He even looked great early in the second round. In terms of skill, Garbrandt may have been the better fighter.

But Dillashaw was the smarter fighter. He listened to his corner and changed his game plan between rounds. That subtle change threw Garbrandt off and allowed Dillashaw to get the finish. I’d love to see a rematch between the two. I think they’re two evenly matched guys who are at the peak of their powers right now.

But I want Dillashaw-Johnson.

Joanna Deserves A Rematch

The only other option for Rose Namajunas is Karolina Kowalkiewicz, who defeated Namajunas back at UFC 201. But Kowalkiewicz has lost twice since then and probably needs one more win before getting a title shot. If they book Namajunas-Kowalkiewicz, I would understand.

But it would be a disservice to everything Joanna Jędrzejczyk accomplished for her to not get a rematch.

She dominated the best strawweights for over three years. She deserves a rematch for the same reason that Ronda Rousey deserved a rematch against Holly Holm before she took a year off (and still got an immediate title shot), for the same reason that Jose Aldo deserved a rematch against Conor McGregor, and for the same reason that Anderson Silva deserved a rematch against Chris Weidman.

When you prove your dominance for that long and then lose in quick fashion like all three of those former champions did, you deserve a chance to show it was just a bad night. Maybe the rematch goes the exact same way. If that’s the case, it validates the new champion even more. And if it goes differently, now a third fight is on the table (assuming it’s a competitive bout or another flash finish and not a three+ round destruction).

Joanna earned a rematch by being the best women’s strawweight since they adopted the division. And that’s enough.

I’m on Twitter @jeremylambert88