Lion tamer Firas Zahabi cautious about GSP return time table
Georges St-Pierre underwent ACL surgery back in December, and has said his recovery is going faster than expect. Many expect…
Georges St-Pierre underwent ACL surgery back in December, and has said his recovery is going faster than expect.
Many expect GSP to meet interim titleholder Carlos Condit at UFC 154 on Nov. 17 at Montreal’s Bell Centre. Famed trainer Firas Zahabi told MMAjunkie Radio he hopes so too, but he’s not making any decisions until the fighter returns to full training next month.
“I won’t be confident to [give a time table] until I see him in the gym and moving around and live sparring,” said Zahabi.
“A little light jiu-jitsu,” he said of St-Pierre’s current schedule. “It’s technique now, nothing live and nothing with contact. Just some light moving around and going over the moves he usually does and reviewing the playbook.”
“You never know how it messes with a guy’s game,” Zahabi said of the layoff. “So let’s see what he looks like in sparring and see how it goes.”
“A lot of guys sometimes think that the rules of my sparring (including no knee strikes, takedowns only in a designated zone to keep fighters from blindsiding others), and halting out of control sparring sessions) I run are too strict. But I’ve seen bones snap and joints be discloated and all sorts of gruesome stuff. When you spend so many hours in the gym, you realize the dangers that are out there. I think you need a good lion tamer in the gym.”
“Healing an injury is one thing, but preventing it is the better thing, the better avenue.”
Listen to entire interview: