Quote: Georges St-Pierre In Shape & Ready To Save UFC 206

Former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has been gone for a long time now. Even before his post-UFC 167 retirement, ‘GSP’ later revealed he had completely lost the urge to compete. Vacating the belt after a narrow win over Johny Hendricks, St-Pierre left a huge hole in the division. Since that time, rumours and reports

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Former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has been gone for a long time now. Even before his post-UFC 167 retirement, ‘GSP’ later revealed he had completely lost the urge to compete. Vacating the belt after a narrow win over Johny Hendricks, St-Pierre left a huge hole in the division. Since that time, rumours and reports of a highly anticipated return have simply not materialised. Refuting the former champ’s comments, Dana White claimed ‘GSP’ did not want to fight again.

Contract disputes with the UFC led to St-Pierre’s heavily reported UFC 206 return falling apart. Apparently the Reebok deal was the main sticking point, and ‘GSP’ claimed he was now a free agent. Again shooting down these comments, the UFC president said St-Pierre was still under contract. Since that whole mess, the Toronto-based UFC 206 card has undergone massive change.

Dana White-Georges St-Pierre-GSP

Is GSP Coming Back at UFC 206?

Seeing stacked fights featuring Donald Cerrone, Matt Brown, Anthony Pettis and Max Holloway added, UFC 206 has also taken some big hits. First Rashad Evans pulled out of his middleweight debut with Tim Kennedy, then we lost the main event yesterday. With Daniel Cormier injured, the event is now headlined by Holloway vs. Pettis, but is there more in store? According to Fight Network’s Robin Black, there could well be:

“I was sat right next to Georges St-Pierre for two and a half hours. One of the things he told me was he is staying in shape for UFC 206. Two weeks out, GSP is in fight shape and he wants to fight, that’s a fact. Can these guys get this thing done? That is in play for sure. (Georges manager) is on the phone to them right now, this is in play. All of a sudden for thirteen days, it’s nothing but (GSP). This mentality that it’s all about the lead up, that’s old school. Even in movies, there’s no proof that it works in this crowded landscape. It’s the hot ten days before that are the hot ten days. He’s training as if he’s fighting on that day.”

Sound familiar? See Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor at UFC 196 for a reference point. The full interview with Robin Black and co.:

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Georges St-Pierre Admits He Wasn’t Trying To Finish Fights

Former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre is on the cusp of a massive comeback. The when and whereabouts are not yet known, although rumours surrounding UFC 206 in Toronto are rampant. An obvious rematch with Nick Diaz, title fight against Tyron Woodley or even a super fight with Conor McGregor are all on the table.

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Former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre is on the cusp of a massive comeback. The when and whereabouts are not yet known, although rumours surrounding UFC 206 in Toronto are rampant. An obvious rematch with Nick Diaz, title fight against Tyron Woodley or even a super fight with Conor McGregor are all on the table. Legends like St-Pierre are always going to have many options available, and just a glance at his record shows why.

Arguably the greatest welterweight to ever grace the octagon, ‘Rush’ left the sport behind in a highly unexpected moment back in 2013. Following a super-squeaky split decision win over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167, GSP declared he needed some time away. Relinquishing the title he’d held so firmly, St-Pierre simply walked away. Speculation over the Canadian’s return has raged on since that day. After three years, the stars are finally starting to align. There are doubters though.

georges st-pierre..

 The Fire

There’s been a lot of talk about GSP’s motivation to come back and fight again. UFC president Dana White recently said he doesn’t believe the former 170-pound king truly has the desire. ‘Rush’ responded by saying White knew nothing about him, and his motivation would be clear within one minute of his next fight starting.

Surely St-Pierre would not be foolish enough to come back to the UFC over pride or self conflict? You’d imagine so, but obviously anything is possible. One interesting clip was picked up by Toothless MMA, and it shows GSP being very truthful to himself. Recognizing his fire was gone back in 2013, St-Pierre admits he wasn’t even trying to finish fights toward the end of his championship reign:

ufc ppv all time records

No Finish

“Critics said I was fighting more to win instead of finishing the fight and it’s true. Towards the end, I didn’t have the same anger, I didn’t have the same drive to hurt the guy and to finish it. And it’s a fact. I tried to get it back, but it is very hard and I think the best way to get it back for me is to step out, because it’s more an emotion thing.”

“I was fighting more for winning instead of for going through the guy. I needed to step out to let my hunger go up.”

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Motivation is Key

When the news of Georges St-Pierre’s comeback fight is finally made official, there will be plenty of time for debate. For now, ponder this–how would the current UFC crop fare against the motivated GSP that wreaked havoc on the division for eight years?

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GSP: Dana White Doesn’t Know Anything About Me

A rumor surfaced yesterday that legendary former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre was supposedly returning to the Octagon to face featherweight champion Conor McGregor in the main event of November’s UFC 205 from Madison Square Garden, and it was supposedly going to be announced on tonight’s ‘UFC Tonight.’ While the announcement fans were waiting for

The post GSP: Dana White Doesn’t Know Anything About Me appeared first on LowKick MMA.

A rumor surfaced yesterday that legendary former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre was supposedly returning to the Octagon to face featherweight champion Conor McGregor in the main event of November’s UFC 205 from Madison Square Garden, and it was supposedly going to be announced on tonight’s ‘UFC Tonight.’

While the announcement fans were waiting for never came and St-Pierre continued to tease the MMA world about his long-awaited and oft-discussed return, the decorated champion did seem closer than ever to a return after another rumor arrived last week that he would headline UFC 206 from his native Canada. St-Pierre admitted that it wasn’t a coincidence his four-month USADA testing window to re-enter fighting, which began on August 10, would expire on exactly that day:

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence. But it’s in Toronto. Who would be a better man than myself to headline a card in Toronto – Air Canada – get back the Canadian fans, raise the pay-per-view up now that Rory has gone to Bellator.”

Prodded by show co-host Daniel Cormier about just whom he would face in his return, St-Pierre turned the tables on ‘DC’:

“Whoever. I’m glad that you brought it up. Who would you like me to fight?”

Mar 16, 2013; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Georges St.Pierre (red) is declared the winner by unanimous decision during the Welterweight title bout against Nick Diaz at UFC 158 at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

But then he addressed the question in full, noting that previously discussed bouts with current welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and a big ticket rematch with Nick Diaz were on his mind. He also added the unexpected name of Demian Maia into the mix after he was impressed by the Brazilian’s dominant submission win over Carlos Condit last weekend:

“Tyron Woodley. I would fight Tyron Woodley. Nick Diaz, I would fight Nick Diaz. Maia looked pretty good in his last fight. I think he, these guys can elevate me. They’re not guys that I’m necessarily supposed to beat, so it’s a big risk, but I’m willing to take the risk because these guys gonna elevate me. To be far in this game, it’s not about who got the biggest balls, so to speak. Sort of, but it’s not about that; it’s not a straight line. You need to know where to go and be able to elevate yourself, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Talk moved on to UFC President Dana White’s suggestion that St-Pierre no longer had the desire to be champion, to which GSP vehemently denied. St-Pierre views this as a sort of negotiation tactic from White, and he said the brash executive would see he truly does want to fight in the first minute of his first fight back:

“He doesn’t know anything about me. I’m a smart guy. I’m not the kind of guy you’re gonna say, “Oh gee, I’m gonna sign it!” and gonna fight for peanut now. I’m a smart person; it doesn’t work on me. But I’m gonna tell him something today, ‘Let me fight once. And you’ll see in the first minute of the fight that is wrong.’”

TWoodGeorgesStPierre3

The all-time great confirmed he did want to be make another run at the title he vacated, and proclaimed he’d prove his desire to be champion against Woodley:

“Yes. Let me fight Tyron Woodley, then we’ll see if I wanna be world champion again.”

At the end of the day, however, he wasn’t mad at White, focusing on the fact that both sides of this potentially huge business deal have to look out for their own respective best interests. Once that game is done being played, St-Pierre noted, the world (and White) will see that he’s truly motivated to make his return:

“I understand what he means. I’m not angry at Dana; he does what he does for the best of his interests, I do what I do for the best of my interests. One day when all of that gonna be over, we’ll probably be friends like most of the guys that I fought. But now, it’s like a game, he’s doing his thing, I’m doing mine, and we’ll work for the best of our interests. But let me fight once, you’ll see. Not once, but after the first minute of the fight, you’ll be like, ‘Oh yeah, he’s serious.’”

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GSP: Dana White Doesn’t Know Anything About Me

A rumor surfaced yesterday that legendary former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre was supposedly returning to the Octagon to face featherweight champion Conor McGregor in the main event of November’s UFC 205 from Madison Square Garden, and it was supposedly going to be announced on tonight’s ‘UFC Tonight.’ While the announcement fans were waiting for

The post GSP: Dana White Doesn’t Know Anything About Me appeared first on LowKick MMA.

A rumor surfaced yesterday that legendary former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre was supposedly returning to the Octagon to face featherweight champion Conor McGregor in the main event of November’s UFC 205 from Madison Square Garden, and it was supposedly going to be announced on tonight’s ‘UFC Tonight.’

While the announcement fans were waiting for never came and St-Pierre continued to tease the MMA world about his long-awaited and oft-discussed return, the decorated champion did seem closer than ever to a return after another rumor arrived last week that he would headline UFC 206 from his native Canada. St-Pierre admitted that it wasn’t a coincidence his four-month USADA testing window to re-enter fighting, which began on August 10, would expire on exactly that day:

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence. But it’s in Toronto. Who would be a better man than myself to headline a card in Toronto – Air Canada – get back the Canadian fans, raise the pay-per-view up now that Rory has gone to Bellator.”

Prodded by show co-host Daniel Cormier about just whom he would face in his return, St-Pierre turned the tables on ‘DC’:

“Whoever. I’m glad that you brought it up. Who would you like me to fight?”

Mar 16, 2013; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Georges St.Pierre (red) is declared the winner by unanimous decision during the Welterweight title bout against Nick Diaz at UFC 158 at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

But then he addressed the question in full, noting that previously discussed bouts with current welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and a big ticket rematch with Nick Diaz were on his mind. He also added the unexpected name of Demian Maia into the mix after he was impressed by the Brazilian’s dominant submission win over Carlos Condit last weekend:

“Tyron Woodley. I would fight Tyron Woodley. Nick Diaz, I would fight Nick Diaz. Maia looked pretty good in his last fight. I think he, these guys can elevate me. They’re not guys that I’m necessarily supposed to beat, so it’s a big risk, but I’m willing to take the risk because these guys gonna elevate me. To be far in this game, it’s not about who got the biggest balls, so to speak. Sort of, but it’s not about that; it’s not a straight line. You need to know where to go and be able to elevate yourself, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Talk moved on to UFC President Dana White’s suggestion that St-Pierre no longer had the desire to be champion, to which GSP vehemently denied. St-Pierre views this as a sort of negotiation tactic from White, and he said the brash executive would see he truly does want to fight in the first minute of his first fight back:

“He doesn’t know anything about me. I’m a smart guy. I’m not the kind of guy you’re gonna say, “Oh gee, I’m gonna sign it!” and gonna fight for peanut now. I’m a smart person; it doesn’t work on me. But I’m gonna tell him something today, ‘Let me fight once. And you’ll see in the first minute of the fight that is wrong.’”

TWoodGeorgesStPierre3

The all-time great confirmed he did want to be make another run at the title he vacated, and proclaimed he’d prove his desire to be champion against Woodley:

“Yes. Let me fight Tyron Woodley, then we’ll see if I wanna be world champion again.”

At the end of the day, however, he wasn’t mad at White, focusing on the fact that both sides of this potentially huge business deal have to look out for their own respective best interests. Once that game is done being played, St-Pierre noted, the world (and White) will see that he’s truly motivated to make his return:

“I understand what he means. I’m not angry at Dana; he does what he does for the best of his interests, I do what I do for the best of my interests. One day when all of that gonna be over, we’ll probably be friends like most of the guys that I fought. But now, it’s like a game, he’s doing his thing, I’m doing mine, and we’ll work for the best of our interests. But let me fight once, you’ll see. Not once, but after the first minute of the fight, you’ll be like, ‘Oh yeah, he’s serious.’”

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BJ Penn vs. Georges St-Pierre 3? ‘The Prodigy’ Wants GSP In New York

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen either BJ Penn or Georges St-Pierre actively fighting. For ‘Rush’ it was the tail end of a six-year win streak that sent him to retirement in 2013, having won 12 straight fights since 2007, but squeaking past Johny Hendricks at UFC 167. Citing personal issues and the

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It’s been a long time since we’ve seen either BJ Penn or Georges St-Pierre actively fighting. For ‘Rush’ it was the tail end of a six-year win streak that sent him to retirement in 2013, having won 12 straight fights since 2007, but squeaking past Johny Hendricks at UFC 167. Citing personal issues and the somewhat loose drug testing regime in mixed martial arts at the time, the former promotional poster boy relinquished his undisputed title, much to the dismay of his fans and UFC president Dana White.

‘Th Prodigy’ left the sport on a very different kind of streak, having been 5-1-1 in his last five years of competition, only competing three times between October 2011 and July 2014, and losing all those fights in rather ugly fashion. Fighting Nick Diaz and Rory MacDonald at welterweight was brave, albeit somewhat ill fated, and taking on Frankie Edgar at featherweight in his last fight was not a great decision.

BJ Penn

That was 2014, and Penn lost by harrowing TKO in the trilogy match with Edgar, sending him out of the sport with a rather unsatisfactory summary to such a storied fighting career. Criminal accusations and a failed USADA (United States Anti Doping Agency) test for IV use have hindered returns at UFC 197 and 199 for the former welterweight and lightweight champ, but now he’s aiming for a November return against an old foe in Georges St-Pierre:

This was in response to ‘GSP’ recently telling The MMA Hour that he could ‘easily’ make lightweight if required.

georges st. pierre ufc stats

During his best years Penn lost to ‘Rush’ by both decision at UFC 58 and TKO at UFC 94. The former welterweight champion and consensus greatest 170-pounder of all time ‘GSP’ has already been linked to a middleweight return against Michael Bisping, so is ‘The Prodigy’ asking for a lightweight battle a little too far down the weight categories?

Penn, in terms of fighters going down as their age goes up, is quite a rare sight. Most prefer to go up as their physique naturally swells over time, and what are the chances that St-Pierre will actually fancy the trip down below his formerly owned weight class? That said, UFC 205 will be the first event held in New York, and at the Madison Square Gardens no less. For obvious reasons this will be a historic night, potentially filled with red panties should the stars align in the correct manner.

Would this be a fight worth watching? Possibly, but I get the feeling that regardless of weight, St-Pierre would continue Penn’s run of bad luck.

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Five Reasons Georges St-Pierre Should Stay Retired

There’s been an ever-increasing buzz so far this year that welterweight superstar Georges St. Pierre could be on the verge of a comeback in 2016. The rumor mill went into overdrive when St. Pierre attended UFC 196 last month to watch Conor McGregor fight Nate Diaz, while those close to the 34-year-old, such as long-time

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There’s been an ever-increasing buzz so far this year that welterweight superstar Georges St. Pierre could be on the verge of a comeback in 2016.

The rumor mill went into overdrive when St. Pierre attended UFC 196 last month to watch Conor McGregor fight Nate Diaz, while those close to the 34-year-old, such as long-time coach Firas Zahabi and training partner Rory MacDonald, have occasionally dropped hints that he is targeting a return.

The latest fuel to the fire comes from the man himself, with St. Pierre telling RDS.ca that he has been speaking to the UFC about a possible return, though they are still in negotiations and nothing has been decided yet.

Is it really such a good idea for the former welterweight kingpin to step back into the Octagon though?

In this article we’ll argue that there are five major reasons why this legendary fighter should cast aside any thought of returning, and instead should make his retirement official and hang up his gloves for good.

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