UFC legend Georges St-Pierre has strongly hinted he could return to the Octagon almost two years after his retirement.
St-Pierre walked away from mixed martial arts after UFC 167 but could be set for an eagerly-awaited return.
The 34-year-old—a three-time UFC welterweight champion—revealed he is itching to fight again, having kept up to date with proceedings in his absence, per Nicholas Landry of French Canadian outlet RDS (h/t MMA Fighting's Marc Raimondi):
I'm starting to get the feeling, more and more, to come back. I watch the fights to see what's going on in my division, and I'm staying in shape. It's like a knife that I have to keep sharp just in case I ever decide to jump back in the mix. It's not for sure that it won't happen in 2015, but I'm not sure yet.
GSP also admitted he has been back in the gym as he prepares for a potential comeback—music to the ears of MMA fans.
UFC President Dana White has consistently ruled out a potential return to action for St-Pierre. He recently explained that St-Pierre's immense success—and the financial rewards that go with it—had made him less hungry to compete, per Simon Head of the Sun.
However, it seems that hunger has returned for GSP following his absence from the action.
St-Pierre shocked the MMA world in November 2013 when he announced his departure following his split-decision victory over Johny Hendricks in UFC 167, citing personal reasons.
Per Ryan McKinnell of Yahoo Sports, a number of other factors subsequently emerged, most notably St-Pierre's immense dissatisfaction with "rampant performance-enhancing drug usage in mixed martial arts."
Since then the UFC has tightened up its regulations on the controversial matter, and this year, it has the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) running its drug-testing program.
As recently as August, middleweight great Anderson Silva was banned for a year after failing multiple drug tests, per ESPN.com's Brett Okamoto.
St-Pierre addressed his doping concerns and said he had already noticed changes since USADA stepped in, per Landry (via Raimondi):
If I have one regret, it's that I didn't speak up sooner. In fact, I've been talking for a while, but they ignored it. At the end, I wanted to make the drug tests public. I should have insisted on that well before. I'm not surprised to see certain things. There are fighters whose bodies have changed. They don't look like the same fighters as before. I think a lot of people are scared.
We have to eliminate the technology factor in the sport. The sport needs to be based on talent, technique, athletic talent and not based on who has access to better technology.
Undoubtedly one of the greatest of all time, St-Pierre's return to the UFC would be a huge boost for MMA and an exciting development for the sport.
His absence has been felt but, having never actually officially entered retirement, a return has always been a possibility.
With his drug grievances being addressed and his hunger clearly still there, St-Pierre could well be back and fighting again in 2016.
