Bisping says GSP fight officially set for UFC 217

Warning: Story contains coarse language

Finally.

After months of back and forth, Michael Bisping said during an appearance on "UFC Tonight" his long-awaited matchup with Georges St-Pierre is officially set for UFC 217.

"This is actually the third time I've been offered this fight, so the ship's sailed twice," Bisping said, according to Mike Bohn of MMAJunkie. "On this occasion, on the third occasion, it set off sailing but did a U-turn and it pulled up at New York City. I've got a chirpy little Englishman who's going to fight Georges St-Pierre, Madison Square Garden, Nov. 4. It is official. Do not miss it. We're taking over."

UFC president Dana White recently stated the "ship has sailed" for the middleweight bout, instead planning to have GSP take on Tyron Woodley in his return fight, but everything changed at UFC 214 over the weekend.

Frustrated with the lack of action in Woodley's title defense against Demian Maia, White declared he was taking the GSP matchup away from the reigning welterweight champion and again giving it to Bisping.

"That ship turned around and f---ing sailed back," White said at the post-fight presser.

The matchup with Bisping, which could very well end up as the main event on the next New York card, will mark St-Pierre's first fight since defending his welterweight belt for a ninth consecutive outing in November 2013. A month later, the Montreal native voluntarily vacated his title to take time away from the sport.

Bisping has been atop the middleweight division since recording a first-round knockout of Luke Rockhold at UFC 199. His lone title defense came by way of a unanimous decision win over Dan Henderson at UFC 204 last October.