Georges St-Pierre is getting an immediate shot at the title in his comeback fight.
UFC president Dana White told ESPN’s “SportsCenter” on Wednesday the former welterweight champion will move up a weight class to fight Michael Bisping for the middleweight title. White did not reveal a date for the championship fight.
White also said Bisping and St-Pierre will have a press conference Friday in Las Vegas prior to UFC 209.
St-Pierre hasn’t fought since defeating Johny Hendricks in a controversial split-decision victory at UFC 167 back in 2013. He vacated his welterweight belt after successfully defending it nine consecutive times, as he decided to take a break from the sport.
Rumblings about a potential St-Pierre return first surfaced when he attended UFC 196. The rumors became a reality when he signed a new contract with UFC in February.
The 35-year-old Canadian’s comeback will be met with a handful of challenges. Aside from having not fought in nearly four years, he’ll be fighting in the 185-pound division after years of fighting in the welterweight class. He also hasn’t finished a fight since 2009 (seven consecutive fights) when he defeated B.J. Penn via TKO at UFC 94.
St-Pierre’s opponent, Bisping, last fought in November at UFC 204, where he defended the middleweight championship for the first time against 46-year-old Dan Henderson. He has won four consecutive fights, which include victories over former kings of the 185-pound class, Anderson Silva and Luke Rockhold.
Thumbnail photo via Jason Silva/USA TODAY Sports Images
