The moment is finally here for GSP fans worldwide. After taking a long four years off from competing in mixed martial arts, Georges St-Pierre returns at UFC 217 against current middleweight champion Michael Bisping. When this fight was originally booked, fellow middleweight contenders scoffed at the idea of a welterweight jumping the line and getting a title shot. Their complaints are valid, but GSP has a name that the UFC desperately needs to sell tickets and pay-per-view buys.
Is GSP damaging his legacy?
Now that the fight is just a day away, the question remains.
Is GSP hurting his legacy? He certainly is if he loses. Four years ago, he went out on top in a decision win against heavy-hitter Johny Hendricks. He's considered one of, if not, the greatest welterweight in all of MMA. Why come back now after he had it all? It may be the money or it may be to make history. After all, there are few fighters who've been able to capture UFC belts in multiple divisions.
GSP is bigger, stronger
Ring-rust inside the cage is a real thing. We've seen many fighters, who took extended time off, struggle once they returned. GSP is a different breed, though. Moving up to middleweight, he's now a bigger, stronger fighter. It shouldn't surprise anyone to see him take down Bisping early and often.
Can he keep him there, though?
An ace up his sleeve
We've seen Georges take down the best wrestlers and strike with the best strikers. It's his high fight IQ, however, that lets him take the fight where he has the biggest advantage. Georges has also spent a lot of time training alongside Garry Tonon and Gordan Ryan, two of the best grapplers in the world currently.
He has surely picked up some leg-lock submissions and top-control positions that can stifle Bisping the entire fight. This offensive-minded approach on the ground is the ace up his sleeve.
What does the future hold?
If GSP is successful at beating Bisping and becomes the new middleweight champion, what's next? Will he continue fighting large middleweights or is a jump back down to 170 the best move?
He may very well avoid both options and take on Conor McGregor, the biggest star in all of MMA. Both fighters are huge draws, and it would be interesting to see how GSP would deal with McGregor's forward pressure. GSP surely would have the size advantage. It would certainly be GSP's biggest payday to date, as is the case for almost all of McGregor's opponents.
