UFC President Dana White is certain that longtime welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre is not done inside the Octagon.
Ahead of UFC 171—an event which features three matchups involving the 170-pound division’s top 10 (including a title fight)—White met with reporters to discuss GSP‘s future with the UFC.
According to MMAfighting.com, White sounded sure of one thing: GSP will be back.
“I know for a fact he will (return),” White said. “Is it fun for Georges St-Pierre to be gone? I mean, no, I wouldn’t say that it’s fun for him to be gone. But the welterweight division is exciting right now, and when Georges does come back, whoever’s standing there, it will be a fun fight.”
Is this good news?
Something about the way GSP left the sport—the unceremonious post-fight interview after narrowly edging Hendricks at UFC 167, the refusal to use the word “retirement” even after deciding to take his leave—makes White’s proclamation welcome.
However, the other side—GSP‘s improved demeanor since stepping away, the reborn welterweight division, GSP‘s declining performances inside the cage—makes one feel that the champion should stay away from the Octagon for good.
He’s achieved virtually everything a UFC champion can hope to accomplish. He’s become a worldwide superstar. He’s starred in commercials. He’s ventured into Hollywood.
Even if he never returns to the big stage of a UFC main event, nobody would question his excellence or his status as the greatest 170-pound mixed martial artist who ever lived.
All these things make one wonder what White knows. Is he looking beyond dollar signs and marquees featuring the Canadian superstar’s name once more? Is this something he has discussed with GSP recently?
The former champ recently hinted at a return himself, so White’s words may prove genuine, and the welterweight division might take yet another crazy twist in 2014.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com