Introduction
UFC 167: St-Pierre vs. Hendricks. November 16, 2013. MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas. The UFC’s 20th anniversary event. Georges St-Pierre retained the UFC Welterweight Championship against Johny Hendricks by split decision (48-47, 48-47, 47-48) in five rounds — one of the most disputed scorecards in UFC title-fight history.
All 15 media outlets tracked by MMADecisions scored the fight for Hendricks, and UFC President Dana White said he believed Hendricks won. The crowd booed when GSP was announced the winner. Hendricks dropped to the canvas in disbelief. Post-fight, St-Pierre told Joe Rogan he needed to step away from the sport for a while.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Quick Stats
3. The Build-Up
4. Main Event
5. Co-Main Event
6. Full Results
7. Bonuses & Awards
8. Records & Milestones
9. Legacy & Impact
10. FAQ
11. References
Quick Stats
Date: November 16, 2013 (UFC’s 20th anniversary event)
Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Main Event: Georges St-Pierre (c) vs. Johny Hendricks — UFC WW Championship (5 rounds; GSP's 9th consecutive title defence)
Result: GSP def. Hendricks — SD (48-47, 48-47, 47-48) — CONTROVERSIAL; all 15 media outlets on MMADecisions + Dana White scored it for Hendricks; Hendricks collapsed in disbelief
Notable: GSP announced stepping away post-fight; vacated title Dec 13; Evans TKOs Sonnen; Lawler def. MacDonald; Woodley KOs Koscheck; $50k bonuses
The Build-Up
Hendricks had earned the title shot with first-round knockouts of Jon Fitch and Martin Kampmann plus decision wins over Josh Koscheck and Carlos Condit. He carried elite wrestling from his two-time NCAA champion career at Oklahoma State and devastating left-hand power. GSP entered on an 11-fight winning streak. The UFC's 20th anniversary was celebrated across the week, with the card billed as a celebration of the first two decades. The main event delivered the most disputed result of the era.
Main Event
Georges St-Pierre (c) vs. Johny Hendricks — UFC WW Championship
Hendricks hurt GSP badly with left hands and uppercuts in round two and marked up the champion's face. Per FightMetric, Hendricks landed two takedowns and outlanded GSP 142-125 in total strikes, while GSP led 101-85 in significant strikes and landed three takedowns. All three judges gave Hendricks rounds two and four and GSP rounds three and five — the fight was decided by a split first round.
When Bruce Buffer called GSP’s name as the winner, Hendricks dropped to his knees on the canvas. Dana White said post-fight that he thought Hendricks won.
Co-Main Event
Rashad Evans vs. Chael Sonnen — Light Heavyweight
Rashad Evans finished Chael Sonnen by TKO (punches) at 4:05 of the first round, taking control on the ground and pounding out the stoppage.
Full Results
Early Preliminary Card (Facebook)
Gian Villante def. Cody Donovan — TKO (Punches) — R2, 1:22 — LHW
Sergio Pettis def. Will Campuzano — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — BW
Jason High def. Anthony Lapsley — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — WW
Preliminary Card (Fox Sports 1)
Erik Perez def. Edwin Figueroa — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — BW
Rick Story def. Brian Ebersole — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — WW
Thales Leites def. Ed Herman — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — MW
Donald Cerrone def. Evan Dunham — Submission (Triangle Choke) — R2, 3:49 — LW
Main Card (PPV)
Ali Bagautinov def. Tim Elliott — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — Flyweight
Tyron Woodley def. Josh Koscheck — KO — R1, 4:38 — WW
Robbie Lawler def. Rory MacDonald — Decision (Split) — R3, 5:00 — WW; start of Lawler’s title run
Rashad Evans def. Chael Sonnen — TKO (Punches) — R1, 4:05 — LHW
UFC WW Championship (5 rounds) — Main Event
Georges St-Pierre def. Johny Hendricks — SD (48-47, 48-47, 47-48) — 9th consecutive title defence; CONTROVERSIAL; all 15 MMADecisions media outlets + Dana White for Hendricks; FOTN ($50k each)
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night: Georges St-Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks — $50,000 to each fighter.
Knockout of the Night: Tyron Woodley — $50,000. Submission of the Night: Donald Cerrone — $50,000.
Records & Milestones
Georges St-Pierre — 9th consecutive WW title defence, the most in UFC WW history; 19 total UFC wins, the most of any fighter in UFC history at the time. Vacated the title December 13, 2013.
Johny Hendricks — landed two takedowns and outlanded GSP 142-125 in total strikes per FightMetric; all three judges gave him rounds two and four.
UFC 20th anniversary — the event marked the UFC's 20th year of operation, the first event having been UFC 1 on November 12, 1993.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 167 closed GSP's second title reign. The decision's controversy was immediate and sustained: all 15 media outlets tracked by MMADecisions, Dana White, and most neutral observers scored the fight for Hendricks. The result intensified scrutiny of Nevada judging and became a landmark case in MMA scoring debates.
Robbie Lawler's split decision over Rory MacDonald at UFC 167 helped set the trajectory for the post-GSP welterweight era. Lawler would go on to win the WW Championship in December 2014.
FAQ
Was the GSP vs Hendricks decision at UFC 167 controversial?
Yes. Two of three judges scored the fight 48-47 for GSP, while one scored it 48-47 for Hendricks. However, all 15 media outlets tracked by MMADecisions scored the fight for Hendricks, and Dana White said post-event that he believed Hendricks won.
Did GSP retire after UFC 167?
GSP did not formally retire immediately. Post-fight he said he needed to 'step away for a little bit.' On December 13, 2013, he officially vacated the WW title. He returned to fight Michael Bisping at UFC 217 in November 2017.
What was UFC 167's significance as an anniversary event?
UFC 167 was the UFC's 20th anniversary event. The UFC's first event, UFC 1, was held on November 12, 1993, in Denver, Colorado. The promotional week celebrated that history.
What happened to Johny Hendricks after UFC 167?
After GSP vacated the belt, Hendricks defeated Robbie Lawler by unanimous decision (48-47 x3) at UFC 171 in March 2014 to win the vacant UFC Welterweight Championship, becoming the first official champion other than GSP since 2008.
What did the UFC's WW division look like after GSP vacated?
With GSP gone, the title was declared vacant. Johny Hendricks won the belt by defeating Robbie Lawler at UFC 171 in March 2014, then lost the rematch to Lawler at UFC 181 in December 2014.