The question of whether Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight superstar Georges St-Pierre will ever return to the Octagon has become something of a rhetorical one. Nobody seems to truly know what "GSP" wants except for the French Canadian himself.
But, his long-time coach Firas Zahabi -- dubbed the Canadian Greg Jackson for his work at Montreal's Tristar gym --speculated as to whether he could return when he spoke to Inside MMA's Ron Kruck yesterday.
Zahabi not only confirmed GSP is "100 percent healthy," he's actually in better shape than he was before he retired because he has no fight commitments.
"He doesn't have to take any breaks to do a lot of sport-specific training. He does a lot of fitness. Every time we train with him he looks in better shape than he was at his peak."
That's not surprising, given the videos that have been posted showing his mind-boggling, abs-crushing, exhausting looking training regimen. The dude is in ridiculous shape.
Zahabi said "Rush" trains at Tristar three times a week. And although he maintains he's still "on a break," St-Pierre comes to full practices and works out as hard as everybody else.
"He's training like he used to train when he was preparing for a fight. I think he'll come back and he'll do it, but I think he'll do it for the adventure. He's not very much into a title. He's not very much interested in being the most famous guy. That's not his thing. He loves the thrill of competition. I just don't think he will walk away."
When asked whether better drug testing by the UFC could lure the former pound-for-pound number one back, Zahabi said that's a "huge" factor.
"Me and him both want the same thing. We both want this sport to be 100 percent clean. I think why originally he needed a break was because he had a very imbalanced life. It was just training all the time, sacrifice all the time. He needed to evolve and just have a personal life. But, the lack of drug testing is something that has always bothered him. He has always been suspicious of certain guys he's fought. Let's face it, how many guys have been caught in MMA on drugs? You know, there's been a lot."
So, could anybody lure him back? Zahabi suggested if GSP does return it will only be -- as Cesar Gracie said about Nick Diaz -- for big fights.
"When they put his name on a poster again there's gonna have to be another colossal name, an historical name next to it."
Nevertheless, a Canadian could soon claim the 170-pound strap once again should Rory MacDonald defeat champion Robbie Lawler in the co-main event at UFC 189. Zahabi was asked if "Red King" could become the heir apparent to the GSP throne.
"Well, I think he started really young. He started training heavily at 15, had his first fight at 16. A professional fight, that's something extraordinary. Me and Georges would just put him through the ringer. He would grapple with me, grapple with Georges, put the gloves on and we'd spar with him and he'd come the next day. You know, I think he can be [the next GSP]. You can do everything and never reach that kind of level that Georges did. But you gotta have that something, you know, and that something is very hard to put your finger on. What is it? And I think Rory may have it."
May. Now that's a ringing endorsement.