Georges St-Pierre has been very candid about his return to fighting.
The former nine-time defending welterweight champion had been out of action for nearly four years before committing to a new four-fight deal to resume his career. The UFC is beginning his reboot with a bout against Michael Bisping at UFC 217 on Nov. 4 in New York.
In the lead-up to his first fight back, St-Pierre has stated numerous times that he wants to build on the legacy he started during his previous stint with the promotion, but has no desire to damage the reputation he’s made as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time.
That’s why St-Pierre has stated that if he suffers a loss at any point during his return to the Octagon that he will immediately retire and call it a career.
UFC president Dana White doesn’t seem to agree with St-Pierre, because he feels like a loss to Bisping at UFC 217 would only fuel him that much more to come back and get a win. No fighter wants to end his career on a loss and White absolutely puts St-Pierre in that category.
“I think he will [fight again],” White told TSN in Canada recently. “I think that GSP’s one of those guys that won’t want to go out like that. He’ll probably move back down to 170 [pounds] and take a fight there; I would imagine.
“Guy’s been a world champion most of his career. I just don’t see him going out like that.”
Of course, St-Pierre has backed up his proclamation by saying that he has no intention of losing whatsoever, but he doesn’t want to hurt his Hall of Fame career by tarnishing his legacy with unnecessary defeats.
Still, White seems to believe that a setback against Bisping might only force St-Pierre to return to a more natural weight class at 170 pounds before pursuing the opportunity to get back on a winning track.
