Georges St-Pierre’s head coach Firas Zahabi has revealed that the fighter will be absent from UFC for a year due to colitis injury and a return date to the competition is more than uncertain.
After St-Pierre dropped the middleweight belt, interim UFC middleweight champion from Australia Robert Whitaker was promoted to undisputed titleholder and next fights against American fighter Luke Rockhold at UFC 221 on February 10 but was cancelled.
Zahabi backed St-Pierre from the critics. The Canadian fighter may have become the first UFC fighter in history to drop a UFC belt on two separate occasions.
“I honestly don’t bother GSP about the next fight, because I know everybody is always asking him about it 24 hours a day.” Zahabi told Fight Hub TV.
“When I see him, I don’t talk about the next fight. We don’t talk about it. I know what he’s thinking, he knows what I’m thinking and that’s it. We just leave it at that.
“I think he will come back to fight. Nobody is sure of anything, but I think he is so competitive that he will get up one morning with a taste for a challenge. That’s how he is.
When asked how long St-Pierre will miss UFC competition after beating Michael Bisping last year, Zahabi told it may take a year.
“I think he’ll take a break for at least a year or two. We all love Georges but he has worked for so many years and has fought so much, I don’t think it’s fair to as him more.” Zahabi said.
Georges St-Pierre and Firas Zahabi (right). (Source:www.bjee.com)
St-Pierre returned to MMA in November last year, beating Micahel Bisping by rear naked choke in third round at Madison Square Garden, New York, USA. The 36-year-old won middleweight belt after four-year layoff.
Michael Bisping on the other hand, UFC gala card to be presented on March 17 in London continues to take shape. The main fight has not yet been formalised. Among the assumptions, Bisping could face Darren Till headlining in what may be his last career fight.
During his podcast “Believe You Me” on last Wednesday, former UFC middleweight champion told he was unwilling to agree to fight in his homeland because his entourage would prefer to see him retire at 38, after his two most recent defeats.
