St-Pierre set to return to Octagon vs Bisping

The hiatus is over. Georges St-Pierre recently put pen to paper on a new contract with the UFC, ending the welterweight great’s 39-month break from the sport and beginning a comeback that makes everything a lot more interesting at 170 and especially 185 pounds, where St-Pierre will make his return at a date and place to be determined to challenge current middleweight champion Michael Bisping. A future Hall of Famer whose second reign atop the welterweight division saw him successfully defend his undisputed crown nine times, Montreal’s St-Pierre shocked the mixed martial arts world in December 2013 when he vacated his title following his decision win over Johny Hendricks a month earlier and decided to take a break from the sport.

Since that day, there has been endless speculation about St-Pierre’s return. Yet the 35-year-old stayed busy outside the Octagon, not just working in the Tristar gym in his home city, but by growing his acting chops in movies such as “Captain America: The Winter Solider” and “Kickboxer: Vengeance.”

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All the while, he never said never when it came to a return to the place where he made his name on the sporting landscape. In 2016, the rumor mill kicked into high gear, and a return seemed closer than ever. But never as close as today, as GSP will be back in the Octagon to face Bisping later this year.