UFC 137: BJ Penn and 5 Fighters Who Could Become Champion if GSP Drops to 155

Earlier today, Georges St-Pierre’s trainer Frias Zahabi shocked the MMA world when he said that GSP was more likely to drop to 155 lbs than challenge Anderson Silva at middleweight.

In fact, Zahabi said the only thing that is preventing St-Pierre from moving down in weight was that his current Renzo Gracie teammate Frankie Edgar is the lightweight champion.

This is huge news, as it has been expected that GSP would eventually move up in weight, not down, and suddenly the welterweight title picture has the potential to become wide open.

The 170 lb division is one of the best in the sport, and there is no shortage of talent there, which makes the announcement even more intriguing.

BJ Penn

One of the competitors in this weekend's UFC 137 main event, BJ Penn may need GSP to leave the weight class in order to get another title shot.

Penn is undoubtedly one of the top fighters in the division, but St-Pierre has been his kryptonite for years now, and fans don’t seem to be too interested in seeing him rematch the champ after St-Pierre dismantled him at UFC 94.

A win over Nick Diaz this weekend would put Penn in position to earn another shot at UFC gold, and if St-Pierre is no longer in his way, it seems likely that he will get it.

Carlos Condit

The man who will be St-Pierre’s next opponent at welterweight, Condit has been taking out some of the best in the division over the last two years.

While Condit has a ton of momentum as he currently rides a four-fight win streak over high-level competition, not too many people were giving him much of a chance against one of the sport's pound-for-pound best.

Removing St-Pierre from the equation would suddenly make Condit one of the favorites to win the belt, and his ability to finish would make the division that much more exciting.

Jake Ellenberger

One of the best rising stars in the sport, Ellenberger has one of the best skill sets in the division.

With a solid wrestling game and power in both hands, Ellenberger is a tough opponent for anyone at 170, but St-Pierre’s ability to out wrestle NCAA caliber wrestlers looked to be Ellenberger’s downfall.

If St-Pierre were to move down in weight, Ellenberger would suddenly be one of the favorites to capture the title and he is young enough that he could easily go on a title run that would rival GSP’s.

Rory MacDonald

The most hyped prospect in the UFC, MacDonald has looked fantastic in all of his UFC fights.

Other than his loss to Condit, a fight that he was winning until being stopped with just seconds remaining in the bout, MacDonald has dominated every opponent he has fought, including taking out tough veterans in Nate Diaz and Mike Pyle.

It is currently unclear whether MacDonald would even fight St-Pierre, as they train together at the Tri-Star gym in Canada. But if GSP were out of the picture, the division would be MacDonald’s for the taking.

Jon Fitch

Jon Fitch has been called the second-best fighter at welterweight for years now, but St-Pierre’s dominance has kept him from winning a UFC title.

While Fitch is far from a fan favorite, there is no denying that he has more of a case than anyone to get another crack at GSP, but the UFC brass has been reluctant to schedule a rematch after he was so thoroughly beaten down at UFC 87.

A UFC title run would solidify Fitch as one of the top fighters in UFC history, and he probably has more to gain than anyone if St-Pierre leaves.