UFC 217: Bisping vs. St-Pierre | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Conor McBragger
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
Introduction
UFC 217: Bisping vs. St-Pierre. November 4, 2017. Madison Square Garden, New York City. The second UFC event at MSG produced the most stunning title-fight night in the promotion’s history: three title fights, three new champions. All three champions — Michael Bisping, Cody Garbrandt, and Joanna Jędrzejczyk — left without their belts.
Georges St-Pierre returned from a 4-year absence to submit Bisping in round three and win the UFC Middleweight Championship. TJ Dillashaw stopped Garbrandt in round two to reclaim the BW title from his former teammate. Rose Namajunas knocked down Joanna Jędrzejczyk and finished by TKO in round one — the first time the Polish champion had ever been stopped.
Stephen Thompson defeated Jorge Masvidal by UD. Paulo Costa stopped Johny Hendricks in round two. St-Pierre vacated the MW title 11 days later citing Crohn’s disease; Robert Whittaker was elevated to undisputed MW champion.
Contents
Quick Stats
Date: November 4, 2017
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York City (2nd UFC at MSG; second in New York City)
Title fights: THREE — MW (GSP vs. Bisping) + BW (Dillashaw vs. Garbrandt) + WSW (Namajunas vs. Jedrzejczyk)
Main Event: Georges St-Pierre (challenger) vs. Michael Bisping (c) — MW Championship (GSP returned from 4-year absence; last fight UFC 167 vs. Hendricks, Nov 2013)
GSP result: GSP def. Bisping — Sub (RNC) R3, 4:20 — GSP vacated title 11 days later (Crohn’s); Whittaker elevated to undisputed MW champion
BW: Dillashaw def. Garbrandt — KO R2, 2:41 — Garbrandt rocked Dillashaw end of R1; Dillashaw came back with head kick + punch R2
WSW: Namajunas def. Jedrzejczyk — TKO R1, 3:03 — FIRST TIME JOANNA STOPPED; Rose drops Joanna with left hand; punches until stoppage
Bonuses: POTN ($50k): GSP + Dillashaw + Namajunas; POTN ($25k): OSP + Ricardo Ramos
The Build-Up
St-Pierre’s return had been rumoured for years. He had vacated the WW title in December 2013 following his UFC 167 split decision win over Johny Hendricks, citing personal health issues (Crohn’s disease). His return was negotiated in 2017 at MW — a weight class above his career home. He had never competed at 185 lbs. Bisping had held the MW title since UFC 199.
The Dillashaw-Garbrandt fight was deeply personal. Dillashaw had left Team Alpha Male — the Sacramento gym where he and Garbrandt had trained together. Garbrandt was vocal in labelling Dillashaw as having betrayed the team’s trust. Both men were excellent; their animosity was genuine.
Namajunas vs. Jedrzejczyk: Joanna had been relentlessly trash-talking Namajunas before the fight, making public references to Namajunas’s mental health history — a sensitive area Namajunas had openly discussed to inspire others. Namajunas absorbed it all in silence and prepared.
Main Event: GSP vs. Bisping
Michael Bisping (c) vs. Georges St-Pierre — MW Championship
Rounds one and two were competitive. St-Pierre used his jab and wrestling; Bisping found him with elbows from the bottom, opening a cut. St-Pierre’s size at 185 lbs was evident. Bisping survived with his toughness.
Round three: St-Pierre landed a right hand that rocked Bisping visibly. He swarmed with elbows as Bisping covered up. Sensing the British champion’s durability, St-Pierre’s fight IQ took over: he went to the back, sank a rear-naked choke, and Bisping went unconscious at 4:20.
Georges St-Pierre was a two-division UFC champion. Eleven days later, on November 15, 2017, he vacated the MW title citing a Crohn’s disease flare-up. His MW title reign: 11 days. Robert Whittaker— the interim champion from UFC 213 — was elevated to undisputed UFC MW Champion.
Dillashaw vs. Garbrandt
Cody Garbrandt (c) vs. T.J. Dillashaw — BW Championship
End of round one: Garbrandt rocked Dillashaw with a right hand. Dillashaw’s legs went and the round’s ending bell saved him. The crowd erupted. Round two: Dillashaw came out with new energy. He landed a right head kick that wobbled Garbrandt. Garbrandt stumbled; Dillashaw followed with a punch; Garbrandt went down; TKO at 2:41.
TJ Dillashaw reclaimed the BW title he had previously lost to Dominick Cruz. His former teammate Garbrandt had beaten Cruz to win it. The personal story came full circle.
Namajunas vs. Jedrzejczyk
Joanna Jędrzejczyk (c) vs. Rose Namajunas — WSW Championship
Round one: Namajunas threw a left hand that landed directly on Jędrzejczyk’s chin. Joanna went down. Namajunas followed with punches until the referee stopped it at 3:03. Jędrzejczyk had never been stopped before in her professional career. The crowd at Madison Square Garden erupted. ‘Thug Rose’ was the WSW champion.
Post-fight, Namajunas was composed and gracious. Jedrzejczyk was visibly shaken — her air of invincibility gone in one left hand.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Ricardo Ramos def. Aiemann Zahabi — KO — R1, 1:58 — FW; POTN ($25k)
Randy Brown def. Mickey Gall — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — WW
Curtis Blaydes def. Aleksei Oleinik — TKO (Doctor Stoppage) — R2, 1:56 — HW; Blaydes dominant
Ovince Saint Preux def. Corey Anderson — KO — R3, 1:25 — LHW; POTN ($25k)
James Vick def. Joseph Duffy — TKO — R2, 4:59 — LW
Main Card
Paulo Costa def. Johny Hendricks — TKO — R2, 1:23 — MW; Costa continues rise; 3rd UFC fight
Stephen Thompson def. Jorge Masvidal — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — WW; Wonderboy dominant
Rose Namajunas def. Joanna Jędrzejczyk — TKO (Strikes) — R1, 3:03 — WSW Championship; FIRST TIME JOANNA STOPPED; POTN ($50k to Namajunas)
T.J. Dillashaw def. Cody Garbrandt — KO (Head Kick + Punch) — R2, 2:41 — BW Championship; POTN ($50k); Garbrandt had rocked Dillashaw badly at end of R1; Dillashaw reclaims belt from former teammate
MW Championship — Main Event
Georges St-Pierre def. Michael Bisping — Sub (RNC) — R3, 4:20 — MW Championship; POTN ($50k); GSP returns after 4 years; wins MW title; vacated 11 days later; Whittaker elevated to undisputed MW champion
Bonuses & Awards
Performance of the Night ($50,000): Georges St-Pierre + T.J. Dillashaw + Rose Namajunas.
Performance of the Night ($25,000): Ovince Saint Preux + Ricardo Ramos.
Records & Milestones
Georges St-Pierre — became the first fighter to win world championship titles in two different weight classes who later vacated rather than defended. His MW title reign: 11 days (November 4–15, 2017). Robert Whittaker was elevated to undisputed MW champion in his absence.
THREE TITLE CHANGES ON ONE CARD — the first time in UFC history all three title fights on one card produced new champions. Previous three-title-fight cards (UFC 33, 205, 214) had not seen all three change hands.
Rose Namajunas — first fighter in UFC history to stop Joanna Jędrzejczyk. The left hand that dropped Jędrzejczyk in R1 was the first time she had been knocked down in a professional fight.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 217 is the greatest single-night title card in UFC history to that point. Three title fights. Three upsets. Three new champions. GSP’s return after four years culminating in an RNC finish in round three. Dillashaw surviving being rocked to stop Garbrandt in round two. And Rose Namajunas landing one left hand that ended the reign of the most dominant WSW champion the division had seen.
GSP’s vacancy elevated Whittaker to undisputed champion and set in motion the Whittaker era of the MW division. The Dillashaw-Garbrandt result was replayed countless times for the end-of-round-one sequence alone.
FAQ
How did GSP win the MW title at UFC 217?
In round three, GSP landed a right hand that rocked Bisping. He pressed forward with elbows and sensed the champion’s toughness was allowing him to survive. GSP’s fight IQ took over: he went to the back, locked in a rear-naked choke, and Bisping went unconscious at 4:20 of round three.
Why did GSP vacate the MW title after UFC 217?
St-Pierre announced on November 15, 2017 — eleven days after UFC 217 — that he was vacating the UFC Middleweight Championship. He cited a flare-up of Crohn’s disease that required medical attention. Robert Whittaker, who had held the interim MW title since UFC 213, was elevated to undisputed champion.
How did Rose Namajunas become WSW champion at UFC 217?
Namajunas threw a left hand in the first round that landed on Jedrzejczyk’s chin and knocked her down. She followed with punches until the referee stopped the fight at 3:03 of round one. It was the first time in Jedrzejczyk’s career she had ever been stopped.
What happened with Dillashaw and Garbrandt at UFC 217?
At the end of round one, Garbrandt rocked Dillashaw with a right hand that put his legs to jelly — the bell saved him. In round two, Dillashaw came out with improved energy, landed a right head kick that wobbled Garbrandt, followed with a punch that put him down, and the TKO came at 2:41. The personal history between the two former teammates made the result emotionally charged.
Was UFC 217 the first time three title fights on one card all changed hands?
Yes. While UFC 217 was not the first card to feature three title fights, it was the first card in UFC history on which all three title fights produced new champions in the same night.
References
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