GSP Names Possible Opponents For December Return

Georges St-Pierre needs a dance partner for his Dec. 2023 comeback.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) announced this past week (July 6, 2023) that the all-time mixed martial arts (MMA) great, St-Pierre, will be returning to competition. The former UFC Welterweight and Middleweight champion is set to have a grappling match at a UFC Fight Pass Invitational event to close out the year.

No opponent has been decided yet for the returning “Rush.” The Canadian icon does have some names in mind, however.

“There’s a few names that could be good,” St-Pierre said on The MMA Hour. “I think I need to have someone that’s a formidable opponent. Someone the fans want to see me compete against.

“I think there’s many guys that could be an option, veteran fighters that have a good grappling background,” he continued. “Maybe the Diaz brothers (Nick and Nate) could be [good]. I don’t know. I’m a competitive guy and something like that I think the fans will want to see. It could be someone that is active right now. [Kamaru] Usman, [Colby] Covington, someone like this. It depends. I think it’s up to the audience to choose who they would like to see and I think it needs to be a formidable opponent, too. Someone that is from a grappling background. Someone that will give the fans a good show.”

St-Pierre’s upcoming match will be his first time in action of any kind since winning the Middleweight title against Michael Bisping at UFC 217 in Nov. 2017. “GSP’s” return after a four-year hiatus was short-lived as the legend retired shortly after his big third round rear-naked choke victory.

“I’m doing this more as a novelty competition match than a competition match to have a ranking and place to be the best,” St-Pierre said. “Because no illusion, I’m 42 years old. I have other priorities that are more important than this right now. Even though I’m gonna show up and be in the best shape of my life for this and the most prepared that I can be.”