At UFC 217, one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, Georges St-Pierre, made his highly anticipated return to the Octagon after a four-year break from the sport.
When discussing contemporary fighters like Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall, St-Pierre has acknowledged the universal truth that no athlete can truly defeat the passage of time.
However, this understanding didn`t prevent `Rush` from diving back into the competitive arena for what would be one final, memorable performance. St-Pierre successfully submitted Michael Bisping in their bout at Madison Square Garden in 2017.
By 2013, St-Pierre had already solidified his legacy, having reclaimed the welterweight title after a surprising loss and then defending it successfully against nine consecutive challengers before initially stepping away.
His decision to return after retiring at his peak led to a relatively short comeback, but St-Pierre emphasizes that his retirement wasn`t a spur-of-the-moment choice.
GSP Discusses His Readiness for Life After Fighting Despite a Brief Return
MMA retirements seldom go exactly as planned, and while Georges St-Pierre did return after a four-year hiatus, he has remained retired since his official announcement.
Had he chosen to retire back in 2013 after his victory over Johnny Hendricks at UFC 167, he would have left the sport with a highly respected and honorable retirement, stepping away on his own terms while still at the very top.
Ultimately, his final fight ended up being his triumphant return to the Octagon where he claimed the middleweight title, providing an arguably even more perfect ending, even though it wasn`t the initial plan.
Just over a month after winning the 185-pound belt, St-Pierre vacated the title due to health concerns. This meant the division was effectively held up by his inability to defend the championship.
His move up to the middleweight division resulted in him suffering from ulcerative colitis. After successfully recovering from his health issues, he officially announced his retirement in 2019.
In a recent exclusive interview, St-Pierre shared his perspective on retirement. He was prompted by comments from Joe Rogan, who suggested that the former two-division champion serves as a prime example of how a fighter should navigate the transition out of the sport.
He humorously noted that his short-lived UFC comeback “pissed off everyone, especially Dana White.” However, he harbors no regrets about how his career concluded, even if it wasn`t precisely as planned, because he was already prepared for that chapter of his life to close.
St-Pierre stated, “You have to prepare before it happens, and I retired with a smile. At the time, when I retired, I had ulcerative colitis. I had bad symptoms, and I didn`t want to hold the belt because I think it`s disrespectful to the other competitors. So, I needed to be sure about what I wanted to do, and I relinquished the belt so the other guys had a chance to fight for it.”
He continued, “Fighting is not who I am; it`s what I used to do. Of course, I`ve made peace with it. I`ll probably never feel that rush of adrenaline, that feeling of winning a fight—it`s incredibly addicting—but I need to channel some of that competitive edge into other pursuits.”
GSP Open to Future Competition Under Specific Conditions
Despite emphasizing that he is not solely defined as a fighter, Georges St-Pierre has expressed interest in competing again if the right opportunity presents itself.
`GSP` was initially scheduled to participate in the UFC Fight Pass Invitational in December 2023 but had to withdraw from the grappling match due to an injury.
St-Pierre mentioned that he told Bloody Elbow that if an event comes together, particularly a fun matchup for a good cause, he would consider stepping back onto the mats now that he has recovered and is healthy again.
“I`m trying to get back to 100%,” he said. “If it`s for a good cause, I mean, I would never fight again in mixed martial arts, trying to prove I`m the strongest man; that`s over. But if it`s for a special event, maybe involving charity, something fun for the fans like grappling, where the risk of injury is minimized… I still like to compete, but for different reasons. Maybe [I`ll compete again], I don`t close the door on that.”
