Shortly after Georges St-Pierre won the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight title by defeating Michael Bisping at UFC 217 last year, “Rush” vacated the title citing issue with ulcerative colitis.
Now a year removed from Georges’ decision that didn’t sit too well with UFC president Dana White, St-Pierre says he is doing much better and winning his health battles.
“Definitely the worst has passed,” St-Pierre told MMA Fighting. “I’m dosing down the medication that I have. The medication is anti-inflammatory, so you have to dose it down. Not in one shot, you can’t stop in one shot, but I’m dosing it down every month and soon it will be past, a story of the past. As it goes right now, pretty much all of the symptoms are almost gone.”
Good news, indeed.
At age 37 and having pretty much accomplishing everything imaginable in the world of MMA, St-Pierre isn’t quite ready to shut the door on his combat career, saying he fully intends on mounting yet another comeback once he is 100-percent healthy.
“I don’t want any contract to fight somebody right now,” St-Pierre said, “because the minute you sign a contract, the mental warfare starts, and stress is something that amplifies everything. So I want to make sure I deal with it, I take care of it, and when everything will be finished, I will be able to look forward. My health is the most important thing for me,” headed.
“[But I’m] absolutely not [closing the door on fighting again]. I’m keeping the door open. When I close it, then people will know. But right now it’s held open.”
St-Pierre says he is felling much better walking around at lighter weight as evidenced by this photo. That said, he doesn’t foresee a drop down to Lightweight if and when he does return.
“I can’t say yet, yes or no. One thing I know is the UFC will never want me to go to 155,” St-Pierre said, laughing. “They will be scared that I will ride off into the sunset with their belt again. And I understand them. I understand them from a business standpoint.”
Dana isn’t down…at all.
While a 2019 fight could be logical, fighting at Welterweight seems to be the best option for Georges, a division he ruled with an iron fist for quite some time. And since division champion Tyron Woodley is currently on the sidelines nursing an injury, don’t be too surprised if talks of this fight start to surface once the new year rolls around.