I hope and pray Matt Serra manages to stay healthy and uninjured in the lead-up to his title shot against GSP.
Aside from the fact that Serra has earned his comeback, a healthy Serra is great for GSP.
Why? Because GSP's next fight is reported to be the last one on his contract. Now that he's the champ, he's going to have major juice going into contract renegotiations. So his next fight will also be the last fight for which he gets paid undercard $.
Say Serra injures himself in training -- what happens to GSP? Well, the UFC will find a suitable replacement -- the winner of Sanchez/Rigggs, perhaps. Or a rubber match with BJ. Maybe bring back Karo or someone from the UFC's past (can Newton still make 170?). These are all fights with significant drawing power and GSP should get paid more than his present 40+40K for them.
I also hope that George's management (TKO president Stephane Patry) can negotiate at this high level and doesn't leverage GSP's success into openings for his other fighters at the expense of GSP's bottom line.
In any event, if George gets past Serra, he's in for a HUGE raise -- which he well deserves. The man stood by his contract, even when he was worth a lot more than he was getting paid, and now deserves to get paid marquee coin. Stupid coin. Pimp coin. Dijon ketchup coin.
Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy, and I hope he gets what's coming to him.