10 MMA Fights That Changed The Business

10. UFC 167: GSP def. Hendricks

GSP semi-retires? Dana White says he should€™ve lost the belt? Anti-doping testing? The Welterweight Title Fight between Champion Georges St. Pierre and Number One Contender Johny Hendricks played out more like a daytime soap than it did a high-testosterone (no pun intended, but intended) Main Event.

Controversy spawned for the fight back in July of 2013 when GSP invited Hendricks to be tested by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA), to ensure that both fighters were clean for their contest. Hendricks had verbally agreed to these terms, but backed out in September when GSP offered to cover the costs personally. Hendricks€™ camp believed that GSP had a deeper relationship with VADA and that there was potential of a set up.

The two camps then briefly came to terms on using the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA), but those that fell through when GSP€™s Attorney began an inquisition on WADA about their testing procedures, requesting predetermined dates and not agreeing to random testing. GSP then went ahead with the original testing through VADA, but didn€™t inform Hendricks of his plan. Hendricks believed St. Pierre was again trying to set him up and tarnish his reputation.

The attempted independent testing by GSP was in response to several defeated foes having speculated that the Welterweight Legend has been on stuff for years. St. Pierre also believes that steroid usage in the sport is prevalent and growing, and was attempting to champion a movement to clean up the sport.

Dana White, however, thought the whole thing was ridiculous and a waste of time.

So, how did this fight change the sport? GSP defeated Hendricks with a controversial split decision. Dana White stated publicly that he felt Hendricks should€™ve won, and a despondent St. Pierre became vocal about his distaste for the situation and the sport. A month after the fight, GSP vacated the belt, closing the chapter on a five-year title reign and walking away from MMA (for now). This one fight brought a boatload of attention to PEDs with the casualty being Dana White€™s most consistent draw.