Last December, Georges St-Pierre willingly relinquished his middleweight title due to him being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. GSP wasn’t sure if he would ever fight again. The diagnosis likely came as a result of his move up to the 185-pound division to challenge Michael Bisping at UFC 217.
Speaking Monday on The MMA Hour, St-Pierre provided an update to his situation. The 36-year-old welterweight legend said that his condition has improved, and that although he remains on medication, many of his worst symptoms have been resolved. St-Pierre also said he has lost significant weight as a result of his recovery, which has included performing one 24-hour and one 48-hour fast per week.
Altogether, the process has caused St-Pierre to feel much heavier and he now he’s at a slimmer weight of “between 180 and 185” pounds.
“It’s a lot better,” St-Pierre told host Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “I’m on medication, but I started doing intermittent fasting and it helped me a lot. A lot of my symptoms are gone and I feel a lot better, however I lost a lot of weight, but I’m very, very ripped. It seems like the cause of that (sickness) was probably the fact that I tried eat so much, and forced myself to eat to elevate my weight, and with the stress and everything, I don’t think it was a good thing to do for me. I learned from my mistakes.”
Is Georges St-Pierre ever planning to fight again?
The future Hall of Famer declined to speak in regards to a Octagon return with 100 percent certainty until his medical issues are fully resolved, he did indicate that competing again in the UFC remains something that interests him.
“I need to wait for my condition, to see where my weight will be at and where my health will be at,” St-Pierre said. “I’m still on medication right now, so I can’t fight right now, as we (said), because I’m sure if I go back, even if I start feeling better, if I go back to fighting with the stress and everything, bang, I will probably go right back into it (feeling sick). So I need to wait a little bit, see how it feels. (I need) to be stable for a longer period of time.
“I’ve not closed the door (on my career),” St-Pierre continued. “And also, I will have to think about what weight (I return at), at 185, 170, 155, what would be the weight. I’ve won the title at 170 many times. Doesn’t mean I cannot go back and try to go for the title, but for me, now that I’m at the end of my career, if I do something, it needs to be something that excites me, something that is a win-win situation that can elevate me. I’ve said it many times. I know I repeat myself, but it’s the truth.”