Former longtime UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has been on a hiatus from the sport for about two months now, but says he would return to the Octagon under the right circumstances.
According to an interview with Brazilian media outlet Combate, translation via MMA Fighting, “Rush” said he isn’t ruling out any opponent if he decides to return, including Anderson Silva or Brock Lesnar.
“There’s always a possibility,” GSP said. “Some fighters want to fight me because of my name, others for the money. I would fight Anderson Silva. I would even fight Brock Lesnar if it’s a fair fight for both. I’m not afraid of anyone, but I’m not stupid (laughs). Many people think that a fight shows who’s the toughest, but that’s not my case. I see things in a professional and intelligent way.”
After GSP vacated his belt and Silva lost to current middleweight champ Chris Weidman within a two-week span in December, The Spider’s camp expressed an interest in finally meeting his French-Canadian counterpart in the cage, per MMA Junkie.
While St-Pierre clearly hasn’t ruled the superfight out, he doesn’t seem to be chomping at the bit to square off with an opponent he’s been linked to since defeating BJ Penn at UFC 94 in January 2009.
St-Pierre took an extended leave in the midst of a solid 12-fight win streak, nine of which were successful title defenses.
The decorated fighter continues to make headlines without having a fight lined up, stating last month that he would like to see the UFC implement more stringent drug testing, one of the reasons he decided to take a break, per ESPN.
Additionally, famed boxing coach Freddie Roach, who has trained GSP on many occasions, said the Tristar Gym standout had complained to him about frequent headaches before opting for some time away from the cage, per Fight Hub TV.
Will St-Pierre return to the UFC for a high-profile fight before the end of the year or will he decide to opt for retirement in the near future?
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com.
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