Former UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre will be returning to the UFC after a three year absence to fight UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping.
Even though he has a new deal with the UFC, the former welterweight champion is still a part of the Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Association (MMAAA).
“A lot of guys are fighting and they’re still part of the association. One thing that I am not, I am not a coward,” St-Pierre explained on The MMA Hour. “And it’s not because I’m back in UFC that I’m going throw (away) all of these who had the courage to step up with me, and I’m going to let them down. I’m not like that. What I said was true, what I believe. I believe some of the fighters, they don’t have their fair share of the pie. And I still do believe it.”
GSP hasn’t competed since defeating Johny Hendricks by decision at UFC 167. The former welterweight kingpin feels that having the MMAAA around is good for the UFC in the long run.
“I didn’t see the association as me not coming back,” St-Pierre said. “I see the association as something that could work with UFC for the benefit of the fighters. And I still believe it, as it is today. I don’t think it’s a bad thing for UFC. In long run, it would be a good thing. I believe fighters need to upgrade their status. The thing, too, is UFC is a business, and of course a lot of fighters, sometimes they’re not very well represented and they sign bad deals. It’s not the UFC’s fault if [fighters] sign bad deals. Sometimes it’s because they make the wrong choice themselves. If you’re in business and the guy is ready to sign for peanuts, that’s not necessarily the UFC’s fault sometimes. It’s the fighter’s fault. So I think it’s up to the fighters to take the initiative for themselves as well. It goes both ways. I think the association can be positive for both sides.”
There is no date set yet for the upcoming bout between GSP and Bisping.
