It’s official. Former UFC welterweight champion Georges “Rush” St-Pierre will make his return to the Octagon in the second half of 2017 and will meet middleweight champion Michael Bisping for the 185-pound crown in what is sure to be one of the most anticipated matchups of the year.
As one of the biggest athletic stars in Canada, St. Pierre (25-2) left the UFC claiming that performance enhancing drug usage was rampant in mixed martial arts. The financial setbacks were strong but the UFC rebounded with juggernaut stars Ronda Rousey and now Conor McGregor. However, “Rush” is one of the first true stars birthed in the former UFC system.
No longer owned by Zuffa, LLC and the casino magnate Fertitta brothers, St. Pierre comes back during the WME/IMG era where the opportunities seem to be much greater across other entertainment platforms. St. Pierre will be stepping up one weight class for his return fight which should also make it very interesting.
Bisping (30-7) captured the title from Luke Rockhold at UFC 199 and has since defended the title against Dan Henderson. St-Pierre last fought at UFC 167 in November 2013 when he successfully defended his 170-pound world title against Johny Hendricks.
