Something is brewing at Tristar Gym, and it does not involve an in-house rivalry.
UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre recently joined teammate and fellow 170-pound standout Rory MacDonald for an interview with Sportsnet Canada, and some intriguing fodder emerged from the brief chat.
Besides engaging in a hilarious struggle with the English language near the end of the video, GSP dropped a tantalizing preview of his future.
“I have plans for the future; I have other things,” St-Pierre said. “I can’t talk about it right now, but people will see soon.”
A dangerous matchup against Johny Hendricks looms Nov. 16, so this bit of info comes at an interesting point in the champion’s career.
St-Pierre has already defended his welterweight strap eight consecutive times, clearing out challenger after challenger in the process. This achievement is just shy of Anderson Silva’s 10 consecutive defenses, so the record will be well within reach should GSP dispatch Hendricks.
One man who could present problems for the Canadian superstar, however, is teammate MacDonald, but the two assured Sportsnet Canada that a future matchup is not presently in the works, nor will it ever be in the future.
“No. No thanks,” MacDonald said. “[There’s a] friendship, and Georges has done a lot for me as a young person. He was one of the only people to help me a lot when I first got here. These things I don’t forget.”
What, then, are GSP’s “plans”?
Will he retire after his bout with Hendricks?
In April, GSP said a cut to lightweight is plausible. So that, along with his reluctance to fight MacDonald, remains a distinct possibility as well.
Making this option even more alluring, GSP later said this in his interview with Sportsnet Canada:
“I believe Rory will be champion,” GSP said. “He has all the attributes, physically and mentally. It’s no doubt about that.”
To make this prognostication a reality, GSP will have to either lose his welterweight title, retire or leave the division and cough up his status as champion.
On the flip side, MacDonald has his own fight to worry about at UFC 167 if he hopes to further ascend the welterweight ladder.
Already ranked No. 3 in the UFC’s official rankings, a win over Robbie Lawler will mark MacDonald’s seventh straight victory inside the Octagon, and his championship stock will reach an all-time high.
At most, “Ares” will need one more win after Lawler to secure a title shot, a situation that could get awkward if GSP is able to defend his honor against Hendricks.
Does that reinforce the possibility of GSP dropping to lightweight?
Right now, it’s impossible to tell.
Something is cooking in Canada, though, and fight fans can be certain that big news will emerge from the GSP camp following UFC 167.
What do you think the long-time welterweight champion has in store for us? Sound off, and we’ll discuss the possibilities.
Follow Hunter @HunterAHomistek
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