Georges St-Pierre on UFC Comeback Trail After Successful Surgery

Georges St. Pierre has battled back from a serious knee injury before and it sounds as though he’s ready to do it all over again just days after undergoing successful ACL surgery.

The former Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight champ hurt his left knee during wrestling training a couple of weeks ago and had the procedure done earlier this week by Neal ElAttrache, the same surgeon who repaired his right knee in 2011. That injury put GSP on the shelf for a year, so if nothing else, this latest injury will allow him time to make a decision about whether or not to come out of his “semi-retirement.”

“I climbed Everest once before and I’m going to climb it again — if I want to,” St-Pierre told The Canadian Press on Thursday. “It’s not a problem for me. . . . Anyway I didn’t plan to come back to competition before 2015. And if I want to come back, when I want to come back, I’ll do it again. I’ll have all the tools to do it again. I’m not going to be less strong or less athletic — I’m going to be just better.”

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That’s debatable. GSP is 32 years old and has spent more time in the octagon than anyone in UFC history. After he ruled the welterweight division for almost a decade, there is a new breed of talent coming up through the ranks. St-Pierre vacated the belt on his terms after earning a split decision over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167, but it was a controversial decision. GSP had never taken a beating like that before.

Now Hendricks holds the belt after winning a decision of his own over Robbie Lawler, but he’ll face stiff competition down the road with the likes of Rory MacDonald, Hector Lombard, Tyrone Woodley, and Jake Ellenberger all hitting their stride.

In the meantime, GSP can concentrate on rehabbing his knee while seeing how the rest of the welterweight division shakes out. He plans to stay in Los Angeles for the next three months to rehab with the same team as he worked with in 2011 and if all goes well, start training again in five months.

Of course, anything can happen along the way and it remains to be seen if GSP is motivated or committed enough to make another big comeback. That said, don’t count him out just yet. St-Pierre is fueled by challenges and this might be what he needs to get that fire back.

I’m not betting against him.