Georges St-Pierre has given the biggest indication yet that he plans to eventually return to fighting.
The former UFC Welterweight champion (25-2) vacated the belt following his last fight and has been on a hiatus ever since.
Since then he’s remained tight-lipped and offered no assurances he’d ever fight again, but speaking to Ariel Helwani the French-Canadian said he’s finding the idea of a return increasingly tempting.
“I’m not going to lie, I’m busy with everything and I work on other projects, but for sure I watch the fights sometimes and I feel the itch. And the more and more I watch the fights the more I feel the itch,” he said.
His last fight saw him defend his belt against challenger Johny Hendricks, and during the post-fight interview he spoke of feeling physically exhausted and mentally fatigued.
“I took time out of competition because I was also burned out of all the pressure and the expectations and everything. I needed to find a way out to keep my mental stability so to speak. And, yeah, I’m not going to lie. The more time that goes by the more I feel the itch.”
GSP was consistently one of the UFC’s biggest draws so the remarks will not only excite fans, but the company’s top brass as well, as the promotion continues to draw poor PPV numbers – although some reconciliation may be needed after the acrimonious nature of his departure, with Dana White saying he ‘owed the UFC.’
Another question, in the event of a return, is whether he’ll look to regain the title– currently held by Robbie Lawler – with his Tristar training partner, Rory McDonald, now aiming for the belt.
So many questions still remain and a comeback is by no means set in stone, but the comments offer some optimism for those who were beginning to think we might never see ‘Rush’ compete again.
This article was brought to you by Darryl Rigby, follow Darryl on twitter @DarrylVoderman
