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Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre is finally making his return to mixed martial arts (MMA) after spending more than three years on the sidelines.
But it won’t be at 170 pounds.
Instead, “Rush” will jump up to the middleweight division in an attempt to dethrone reigning 185-pound kingpin Michael Bisping at UFC 217, simply because St-Pierre believes he has nothing left to prove in his old stomping grounds.
Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley disagrees.
In fact, “The Chosen One” told Sports Illustrated the French-Canadian phenom was “running” from him and if it took a trip north to prove Woodley is the better fighter — and better champion — then so be it.
“I'm not just saying I want to move up to middleweight, because at welterweight I'm a larger size and I feel comfortable at the weight,” Woodley said. “I have no issues making it, it's not easy but I always get it done. To fight Bisping or Georges, I'd love fight either one. But mainly I want to fight Georges.”
Woodley lost the opportunity to fight St-Pierre after his lame-duck performance against Demian Maia at UFC 214 last July. “The Chosen One” remains unbooked for the time being, as the rest of the division (see it) sorts itself out.
So ... who’s up for a middleweight Woodley?