UFC Legend Georges St-Pierre Set To Return After Long, Four-Year Hiatus

The UFC that Georges St-Pierre returns to in 2017 isn’t the same place he left in 2013. The complexity of mixed martial arts as a sport, combining numerous fighting disciplines into one cohesive competition, evolves constantly.

Now that St-Pierre is officially making his comeback, questions swirl as he attempts to re-establish himself as a force in today’s UFC universe, at the elite level he previously achieved.

Can St-Pierre compete with the top fighters of today at 35 years old? Will he have any rust after four years away?

One question that has been answered: his opponent. UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping will welcome GSP back to the octagon later this year in what instantly becomes the biggest fight of 2017.

If St-Pierre wins, he’ll become only the fourth fighter to capture titles in multiple weight classes.

In his prime, GSP was a treacherous matchup for any welterweight that stood across from him on fight night. His combination of top-level speed, power and wrestling made him almost unbeatable as a champion.

Toward the end of his magical run — 12 wins in a row (including nine welterweight title defenses) — St-Pierre’s dominance began to subside. Some believe he lost his final fight against Johny Hendricks despite getting the nod on a split decision.

St-Pierre is a founding father of MMA. He is always in the argument when it comes to greatest ever, and his accomplishments will forever stand up to any single fighter’s résumé.