UFC legend Georges St-Pierre was preparing for a return to professional grappling not so long ago, but now he’s decided to abandon those plans. St-Pierre was one of the greatest professional MMA fighters in the history of the sport and he’s left fans wanting more at every stage of his career. It all started when he suddenly retired while being the reigning UFC welterweight world champion in 2013, leaving the sport while he was still at the height of his powers. He returned in 2017 and moved up to middleweight, winning the title from Michael Bisping in a flawless performance before retiring again shortly after.
Fans and promoters alike have been begging for Georges St-Pierre to return to MMA for years and as time wore on, it seemed more likely that he might be coaxed into a grappling match instead. He had previously competed among the best in the world at ADCC 2005 and as a lifetime martial artist, he was still training with elite grapplers every day despite being retired. Then it finally happened, and St-Pierre was booked to compete at a UFC Fight Pass Invitational event at the end of 2023. There were plenty of elite grapplers and MMA legends who would have loved the chance to face him, and that opportunity eventually went to Nick Diaz.
Sadly the match was cancelled when both men were injured in training, and the world has been waiting to hear if it would be rebooked. St-Pierre was asked about the offers he receives in a recent interview, and he explained some of the background behind that match falling through:
“It keeps me relevant, which is great for me. But I gotta be honest with you guys, at the end of 2023 I was training for a grappling match. When I was training for the grappling match it’s like a part of me re-emerged, and mentally I’m obsessive-compulsive. When I train for a fight everything needs to be perfect, I don’t cut corners, I go crazy. I put everything I can to be the best that I can, and I think that’s the reason I got hurt to tell you the truth. It’s like my body can’t keep up anymore.”
It’s not surprising that St-Pierre found it hard to prepare for that match in the same way that he’s used to, as he was 42 when it was supposed to take place. Now, at 43, Georges St-Pierre has decided that his plans for a return to grappling will have to be put to an end:
“I can’t keep the same volume and intensity that I used to do when I was competing. For me, it needs to be done if I want to give the best and showcase the best of myself. But I can’t do it. I need to accept it, and it’s hard, but I made peace with it now.”
The full interview with Georges St-Pierre where he reveals that he will no longer be making a return to submission grappling was uploaded to the official YouTube channel of Draft Kings:
