Georges St-Pierre proclaims he is ‘in great shape like never before’

Georges St-Pierre is all healed up. The ulcerative colitis that has plagued him in recent months is now a thing of the past, and apparently, he’s in better shape than ever.

“I’m feeling great physically, in great shape like never before,” St-Pierre said on La Sueur podcast (transcript via MMA Fighting). “[Ulcerative colitis] is very serious but I’ve fully recovered from it. I don’t need to take my medication anymore. . .

While Georges St-Pierre is once again in phenomenal health, he says he’s not particularly interested in making a return to the cage.

“I could [come back] but to tell the truth, it’s less and less tempting for me,” the Canadian legend said. “I did not think I would say that one day: I’m getting older. I don’t want to fight a young guy that hasn’t made it on the legacy side, that isn’t a name. I would have nothing to win. Every time we enter the octagon, it’s a risk. you could have a bad day. . . We are always a mistake away from the KO or a serious injury, so it’s always a risk and the risk must be worth it.

“I’m not interested in coming back, fighting a rising star, and destroying that guy. It give me nothing and I destroy the dream of a rising star. Both of us are losing then, we are just earning more money. If I come back, it’s not necessarily for more money but for legacy.”

All that being said, it sounds like a fight with UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov might be enough to coax Georges St-Pierre back to the cage.

“Khabib said that he would like to fight me before the McGregor fight,” he said. “It did not interest me at that time. He was not famous, he did not beat someone with a title or with a name. Now that he beat McGregor, it’s better.

“[But] I’m not the guy who calls out people,” he added. “It’s not my personality. I know people are talking about that fight; however, I know the UFC would not be interested in that fight at 155 [pounds]. They know that I’m at the end of my career. I have not many fights left. I will come back for maybe 1, 2, 3 fights. Maybe zero. Maybe I will not come back and I’m okay with that.

At the end of the day, however, it doesn’t sound like Georges St-Pierre is willing to risk the legacy he’s built with another dangerous fight in the Octagon.

“When I set goals I said that I didn’t want to be pushed out of the sport,” he explained. “I wanted to retire on my own terms and on top. If I do that now, I would have accomplished my mission.

“However, the competitor inside me is still here, so when I see the young guys getting ready for a fight after a workout, with me feeling good and strong, it makes me want to come back. That’s where it’s the most difficult for me. I want to go back there. I feel fit, at my top. I feel better than when I was 25. But when I’m with my family and all, that’s less tempting. When I wake up in the morning, I’m asking myself: ‘Do you really want to go back in that circus?’”

Do you think we’ll ever see Georges St-Pierre fight again?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 12/13/2018.