Boxing Betting Preview: Georges St Pierre vs Michael Bisping

Canadian mixed martial artist Georges St Pierre is set to feature in the main event at UFC 217 which will take place at Madison Square Gardens in New York City on November 4th.

After a 4-year layoff from the sport, he will challenge Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping for his belt. St Pierre was last seen in the octagon in November of 2013, winning a split decision over Johny Hendricks to defend his welterweight crown, before he retired as champion after a remarkable run of 12 victories in a row in the UFC.

Many people say that “ring rust” is a real problem for some MMA fighters and you’d have to question what motivation Georges St Pierre possesses for cage fighting at the age of 36 and after 4 years away from the sport. Either way, the hugely popular star will return to action for the second ever UFC show at MSG in just a few weeks time and for UFC fans, this is the fight that everyone wants to see.

Georges St Pierre Vs Michael Bisping Odds

The sports betting lines for UFC title fights tend to favour the champion, but this time St Pierre v Bisping betting odds have the challenger as the betting favourite at around -137.50, with UK firm Marathonbet offering the best odds of -135.71 at the time of writing.

Michael Bisping is trading as the +120 underdog, but in terms of an MMA match up, this is quite an intriguing and evenly matched contest.

A St Pierre Decision victory looks the value bet if you think history is going to repeat itself. But the dynamics of this fight are considerably different to his last few fights at 170lb. Here, he moves up to 185lb against Bisping who will have no desire to be taken to the floor in this fight. Bisping has tremendous physical strength and is a world class striker.

Since working with boxing coach Jason Parillo, Bisping’s hands have improved no end and if some recent videos of GSP on the pads and heavy bag are to be believed, the challenger has a mountain of work on his plate.

George St Pierre Vs Michael Bisping Betting Tips

Some UFC fans, certainly patriotic Canadian ones, can form a credible case for GSP being the greatest MMA fighter of all time, so he does have that motivation in the gym, but it does seem a really tall order to come back after all this time and take down the champion from a division 15lb above the one he built his reputation in.

Can he handle Bisping’s power? As we saw in the Luke Rockhold fight, if you underestimate Bisping’s ability to strike, you’re going to get into a lot of trouble and it remains to be seen how much punishment GSP can take in a five round war at this stage of his career.

Michael Bisping has had his share of injuries, but has been active in recent years and if you fancy the bigger man to defend his belt, the KO/TKO win for Bisping could be a sound UFC bet. The sports betting odds are going stroa little thin on the ground at this stage before the fight, but betway sports are offering an eye-catching price of 3/1 on Michael Bisping to win by KO/TKO or Submission, which does look pretty good betting value.

George St Pierre Vs Michael Bisping Predictions

This could be the return to a former glory for Georges St Pierre, but equally it could be GSP jumping on the gravy train now that top MMA names are starting to command big pay days. Either way, he has a lot to prove at 185lb.

Bisping is seen by many as a vulnerable champion. Sure, he looks vulnerable with the likes of Jacare, Masvidal, Weidman and Rockhold sniffing around for title shots, but is he really as vulnerable as the odds suggest to a returning former 170lb champion on the back of a 4-year absence?

With that in mind, the pure value in terms of betting and a fair degree of logic draws our attention toward Bisping. The Bisping St Pierre betting lines are close, but the popularity of GSP sees him return as the favourite and with so many questions over his head, odds of around +120 on Bisping to defend his belt, could be the sensible play.

In terms of how the fight will play out, Bisping will be keen to press the pace early without putting himself in harm’s way to take down attempts, while St Pierre is completely fresh and strong in the early rounds.

If he can keep this fight standing, Bisping’s judgement of range and timing could gradually wear GSP down and produce a late stoppage, but a victory on the judges scorecards through being the busier fighter could also be on the cards.