Watch Georges St-Pierre discuss PEDs, brain damage, Conor McGregor and more at UFC 217 media day

MONTREAL – Georges St-Pierre’s long-awaited return to the UFC is a little more than a week away, and the former longtime UFC welterweight champion appears more than ready to add middleweight gold to his collection at UFC 217.

St-Pierre (25-2 MMA, 19-2 UFC), who challenges Michael Bisping (30-7 MMA, 20-7 UFC) for the 185-pound title in the main event of UFC 217 on Nov. 4, ends a nearly four-year hiatus for the bout. “Rush” vacated his championship and walked away from competition in late 2013 citing a bevy of issues both in his personal life and within the sport.

In the time away, St-Pierre said he’s gotten everything in order and is ready to compete once again. He’s not overly concerned about the status of his star power after years of being out of the spotlight, but made it clear he’s not exactly fond of some of the changes that have happened in the UFC, namely the new weight-cutting procedures.

Moreover, St-Pierre will have to wear fight attire other than Under Armour for the first time in nearly a decade. St-Pierre told MMAjunkie at a Wednesday media scrum at Tristar Gym in Montreal that he must comply with the UFC’s Athlete Outfitting Policy with Reebok, but said he’s still “very loyal” to his primary sponsor.

“With the UFC, I have to wear the UFC brand, but I’m proud to be an Under Armour guy,” St-Pierre said. “They’ve been supporting me for many years and I’m very loyal to Under Armour. Under Armour for me is the No. 1 brand, but this is family for me. I protect this house. I have to because of the contract, but I’m like Tom Brady. With the NFL, it’s with Nike – but he’s an Under Armour guy. I’m the same. I’m an Under Armour guy fighting in the UFC.”

UFC 217 takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. St-Pierre vs. Bisping headlines the pay-per-view main card following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Among the many topics discussed during the more than 16-minute conversation with reporters, St-Pierre said that should he take the belt from Bisping, he is contractually obligated to meet interim UFC middleweight champ Robert Whittaker in a title unification match.

St-Pierre said he’s willing to share the octagon with Whittaker, but is also aware plans could change at the drop of a hat.

“The UFC doesn’t want the belt, they don’t want people to hold the belt and waste their time,” St-Pierre said. “I understand, it’s a business. But I focus on Michael Bisping and take it one fight at a time. You never know. Dana White could go, ‘You’re going to fight (someone else).’ You never know. That’s (my) experience talking. When I used to think about stuff a lot of time it would never happen. You waste energy thinking about that.”

Watch St-Pierre’s complete pre-UFC 217 media scrum above to hear him discuss all these topics and more.

For more on UFC 217, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.