Former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has confirmed he is "thinking about" a return to the octagon.
The French-Canadian fighter's hiatus from competition came after he admitted, "I had to step out to keep my mental health," per CBC (h/t MMAjunkie). UFC President Dana White recently admitted GSP previously turned down a fight in Montreal, leading him to tell Fox Sports' Jay and Dan podcast (h/t Damon Martin of Fox Sports), "I'm leaning toward he's not coming back these days."
However, St-Pierre suggests a return could be on the cards, per Stephane Cadorette of QMI Agency (h/t Winnipeg Sun).
"He says he’s sure I won’t come back, that’s his opinion," St-Pierre said. "I train, I keep myself in shape. I have marks on my body because my body bruises easily and I’m training hard. It doesn’t mean I’m coming back, but it doesn’t mean I’m not coming back. I’m thinking about it."
The 33-year-old admits he definitely won't make an appearance until the UFC's anti-doping policy improves, per Cadorette, saying, "So far, there’s been some nice words, but nothing's been done. As long as they do nothing, I for sure won't come back."
Performance-enhancing drugs remain a hot topic in the UFC after Brazilian stars Anderson Silva and Cristiane "Cyborg" Justino tested positive (in 2015 and 2011, respectively). The organisation has revealed plans to aggressively tackle doping problems, reported by Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com.
A multimillion-dollar initiative will be put into place, something current women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is excited to see, per Fox Sports:
"The more testing there is, the happier I am" - @RondaRousey on the new @UFC drug testing rules. via @FOXSportsLive https://t.co/4a6ZRnJPIt
— FOX Sports 1 (@FOXSports1) February 20, 2015
GSP obviously wants such measures put into action before he enters the fray once more. He remains one of the UFC's biggest stars, despite failing to compete since November 2013. His career stats stand at 25-2, with his last loss coming against Matt Serra in 2007, per ESPN.com. As the vacated welterweight champion, a target will be firmly painted on his chest if he decides to renew his UFC career.
Fans will certainly take his comments as a positive sign. An itch to get back to work may be working its magic on one of the finest fighters in the sport's history.
St-Pierre's combination of Kyokushin karate and Brazilian jiu-jitsu made him one of the discipline's most elusive men to grab control of. He is an expert on the ground and the kind of fighter who methodically works on his opponents' weaknesses before eliminating them from contention. It certainly wouldn't be beyond GSP to waltz back in, take Robbie Lawler's belt and dominate for the foreseeable future.
Whether the conditions for his return happen remains to be seen. The thoughtfulness of GSP's fighting style is replicated in every comment and move he makes. White's comments may have been pitched to put public pressure on the fighter, but positively, St-Pierre's response certainly provides hope of a headline-grabbing reappearance.
