The rumor mill continues to pick up speed regarding the potential return of former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
The latest news comes from St-Pierre’s longtime boxing coach Freddie Roach, who was in attendance for a press conference to promote the upcoming boxing match between Canelo Alvarez and one of his other proteges, Miguel Cotto. Fight Hub TV was on the scene and probed Roach regarding St-Pierre’s future in MMA.
You can see the full video here (Warning, NSFW Language):
“He’s going to train for a fight. He’s going to have a six-week training camp,” said Roach (h/t BloodyElbow.com’s Anton Tabuena for the transcription). “And at the end of the six weeks, if he feels like he’s ready to fight, and he’s hungry for it like he always has been, he’s going to do it. He going to fight one more time.”
St-Pierre, for those who don’t remember, vacated the UFC welterweight title and hung up his gloves following his controversial split-decision win over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167. The buildup to that fight was defined by talk that St-Pierre was either drained from or checked out on MMA.
For a long while, it seemed as though St-Pierre would be one of the few fighters to retire holding gold, but over the last few months, the rumbles of a St-Pierre return have been getting louder.
That said, fans shouldn’t start booking flights or clearing calendars just yet. “If he doesn’t feel it, and he feels like it’s just not there, he’s going to let it go and he’s going to retire. I think it’s a good idea. I think it’s really, really smart to do that, to see where he’s at in his mind,” Roach said. “I really look forward to this training camp.”
When, exactly, this camp could begin is a mystery, but the timing couldn’t be better. The UFC is clearly angling to stack July’s UFC 200 card to the brim, and a St-Pierre return would be a major attraction.
There are several interesting potential opponents available to him as well, including a long-awaited superfight with Anderson Silva, a rematch with Nick Diaz or a feelgood shot at briefly reclaiming his welterweight title from the winner of Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos Condit.
Here’s hoping that regardless of what he decides, St-Pierre makes the right choice for him.
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