Trainer thinks GSP will fight late next year, White would give title shot
Firas Zahabi: “My personal opinion is he still has plenty of competitive juice in him. I don’t think he’ll be anywhere near fight shape until he’s late-34 — mid-34.”
In 2011 former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre tore his ACL. It was eight months before he could start training again.
It has been less than six months since he had surgery for a torn left ACL, and this time he has already started upperbody gymnastic training.
Tristar Gym head coach Firas Zahabi recently spoke with ESPN‘s Brett Okamoto about GSP’s recovery.
It’s looking way better than the first time, said Zahabi. We just finished training and were talking about how his quadriceps got back to size so much faster this time around. No two ACL injuries are the same. We’re learning that.”
In October, he’s going to try really light martial arts training. Maybe hit pads. A little movement. Nothing crazy.
Right now, every time I talk to him, we never. I’m being 100 percent honest with you. I tell him people ask me about it every day. I think we both just know that there is no answer until he gets back in the gym, in his routine and sees if he wants to continue.
My personal opinion is he still has plenty of competitive juice in him. I don’t think he’ll be anywhere near fight shape until he’s late-34 — mid-34. I think he’s got a few fights in him but I don’t want to speak for the guy. He might retire and no one could blame him.
St-Pierre’s birthday is May 19, so the time frame Zahabi references would be late 2015 or early 2016.
GSP had been adamant that he would no longer fight without comprehensive, independent, out of competition drug testing. UFC vice president of regulatory affairs Marc Ratner intends to have just that in place by the end of this year.
From now on, he’s in a place where he doesn’t have to fight a guy if that guy doesn’t do the test, said Zahabi. He is a big believer in everybody should be natural.
Georges is happy. He’s a natural athlete.
On the latest Download exclusive interview on UFC,com, UFC president Dana White said GSP would get a title shot if he chose to return.
It would be tough to deny that GSP comes right back and doesn’t fight for the title, you know what I mean? said White. GSP can do whatever he wants. If he wants to come back and fight for the title, or if he wants a fight before that – he can do whatever he wants.”
It’s always a huge debate on a guy who’s had a career like GSP – to go out on top and walk away with the belt. That’s a personal decision that a fighter has to make. Being the competitor that GSP is, I can’t see GSP doing it. But that’s up to him.
Guys that I try to talk out of fighting anymore, like Chuck Liddell who had a string of knockouts – I just didn’t want to see it anymore.