Rory MacDonald: Despite health hiccup, Georges St-Pierre 'far' from done in MMA

Rory MacDonald thinks his friend and Tristar Gym teammate Georges St-Pierre has a lot left to give as an MMA fighter – so long as he has the desire to continue.

St-Pierre (26-2 MMA, 20-2 UFC) ended a more than four-year hiatus from competition in November when he returned to challenge Michael Bisping (30-9 MMA, 20-9 UFC) for the UFC middleweight title at UFC 217. St-Pierre won the fight and submitted Bisping in Round 3 to become the fourth fighter in UFC history to win titles in two weight classes.

It was a historic moment for St-Pierre, but just 33 days later, he vacated the 185-pound strap due to a battle with ulcerative colitis. St-Pierre’s been noncommittal about his future since then and said he will still like to fight again but can’t give a timeframe due to his recovery.

MacDonald (20-4 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), the Bellator welterweight champion who has been by St-Pierre’s side in the training room for much of his career, said he would like to see another “GSP” comeback.

“Even if he lost five in a row, still I don’t think it would taint what he’s done,” MacDonald told MMAjunkie. “He’s done some of the most amazing stuff in the sport so far, so I’m really happy for him. If he feels he has more left in the tank, then I think absolutely he should get in there and do his thing. I don’t think any top fighter like that should feel like he left the game early.

“Chael Sonnen said it well: A lot of champions leave face down and on the mat. That’s an admirable way to look at it. That’s usually when you know when you’re done, when your time if over in the sport. Clearly that isn’t the case for Georges right now. He’s far from that stage.”

St-Pierre has said he wants fight that will only enhance his legacy. He’s shut down names ranging from Conor McGregor to Tyron Woodley to Nate Diaz to Ben Askren, which leaves the question of who would fit the description for another comeback.

MacDonald said St-Pierre is capable of beating anyone if given a proper camp. The fact “Rush” managed to win a UFC title in his first bout back after such a long layoff is a testament to his talent, MacDonald said, and he appears to have little doubt St-Pierre could do it again.

“I’ve always said he’s done some amazing things in the sport,” MacDonald said. “I thought he did great in his comeback. The performance was one of his best. He finishes Michael Bisping. I think he did a great job. I’m really happy for him.”

For complete coverage of UFC 217, check out the UFC Events section of the site.