Brazilian Jiu Jitsu expert John Danaher discusses GSP’s future on the Joe Rogan podcast.
Question marks loom over Georges St-Pierre and his fighting future, as fans, fighters and coaches are not sure if the former welterweight and middleweight champion will ever return to the Octagon.
‘Rush’ was recently diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory condition that affects the inner lining of the colon, and his grappling coach John Danaher is not sure if the Canadian fan favorite will ever be medically fit to compete again.
“The truth is that no one knows because it comes down to medical problems,” Danaher said onJoe Rogan’s MMA Show, per MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew. “Georges has a problem in his stomach. I’m not gonna claim to be a medical expert but it’s one of the most frustrating things Georges has had to deal with. . . The truth is, no one really knows at this point. Wherever there’s doubt my instinct is to think, ‘Do you really want to come back Georges? You’ve done all this and it was [an] amazing [way to end his career.]’”
St-Pierre, who is considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, returned to MMA after a four-year hiatus and choked out Michael Bisping to win the middleweight title atUFC 217.
Shortly after winning the belt and etching his name into the history books as one of the few multi-division champions in UFC history, GSP vacated the title — due his medical condition — and stepped away.
The 36-year-old has faced criticism from current welterweight champ Tyron Woodley, who believes St-Pierre is avoiding him to pursue a potential money fight with Conor McGregor.
Danaher, however, who is a renowned Brazilian Jiu Jitsu mastermind, has nothing but respect for ‘T-Wood’ and says GSP would definitely be interested in challenging the reigning champ.
“Absolutely,” Danaher said of whether Georges would be interested in a fight with Woodley. “I think Tyron Woodley is a great champion. I know he gets a lot of flak but that kid is talented. I think he’s very, very good. I think people say that [GSP doesn’t want to fight Woodley] for reasons so they can motivate someone to fight. There’s a political aspect to it. I think both athletes have a deep respect for each other.”
With that said, the New York-based BJJ coach can understand why there wouldn’t be much fan appeal: St-Pierre did, after all, dominate the best welterweight fighters in the world for over five years.
“My only reservation is that essentially it’s the same fight that Georges did for a decade,” concluded Danaher. “It’s Georges against another very, very tough welterweight, which he did for 10 years of his life.”
St-Pierre, who is currently ranked at No. 3 in the pound-for-pound rankings, hasn’t gone into detail on the severity of his medical diagnosis but left the door open for a potential return to MMA.
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