Former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre could be returning to the UFC in as little as four months.
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St-Pierre was one of the more high-profile fighters to publicly speak out about the growing, out-of-control performance-enhancing drug epidemic in the sport of mixed-martial-arts, which many feel ultimately led to the UFC out-sourcing and implementing a brand new, zero-tolerance Anti-Doping Policy for all fighters on their active roster, including out-of-competition, random drug tests – anywhere, any place, anytime. GSP didn’t request any kind of waiver. In an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow, St-Pierre discussed his potential comeback and said his agent is in negotiations with the UFC. It would be bad for my reputation if I would have an exemption – I don’t want to have a free pass. “It’s already here. You can wait seven days and see what’s going to happen because they’re going to lock the Octagon and me and Robbie Lawler are going to get it on”. “Because I didn’t feel like I gave enough, for different reasons”.
GSP still doesn’t have a contract agreement with the UFC.
“I don’t mind, I am not afraid of Nick Diaz, I beat him last time, and I’ll him beat even worse next time that I fight him”. The main issue holding up the deal is that GSP won’t be able to wear his old sponsors and will lose all of that endorsement money. St-Pierre does not want that same treatment. And then we heard a day after that UFC sold for $4 billion dollars.
Georges St-Pierre hasn’t fought in the UFC since 2013.
The point is that the welterweight division is more open for the taking than ever before, and with Matt Serra now enjoying the luxurious post-fight life of a part-time podcaster and full-time gabagool consumer, Georges St-Pierre is basically the only man left to take it. Rumors of GSP’s return have been rumbling around the Interwebs for some time now, and began to pick up steam last week when the former champ offered to challenge Woodley in his return fight.
UFC president Dana White has said recently that he doesn’t think GSP will come back.
Bisping wanted the Henderson fight to avenge his 2009 knockout loss to “Hendo” at UFC 100, GSP said. If fighters want their pay or working conditions to improve, St-Pierre says they need to stand firm and negotiate. I’m sure it’s just to play with my ego. “And I have lost fights before, and for me that was important to avenge losses. I know the game”, said St-Pierre.
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“If I would be his coach I will tell him all the time, behind closed doors, how risky Diaz is and how much of a war this fight will be and how painful, and long, and uncomfortable it would be, and to get prepared for the worst day of his life”, St-Pierre said. The fighters, they complain they’re not getting paid a lot, they get exploited sometimes; The UFC runs a business, but it’s also the fault of a lot of the fighters – they accept any fight, they will sign anything.
