Former UFC welterweight champion and pound-for-pound king Georges St-Pierre said recent headlines regarding his full clearance for MMA training aren’t confirmation that he’s going to return to fighting.

After more than six years as champion, St-Pierre (25-2 MMA, 19-2 UFC) vacated his belt in December 2013 to take a hiatus from competition. He said the stresses and pressure of being champion were plaguing his personal life and he needed time away from the spotlight.

Shortly after that time began, though, St-Pierre suffered a torn ACL in underwent surgery on his left knee. He endured a nearly identical injury in 2011 on his right leg.

St-Pierre was cleared to resume full-contact training earlier this month. However, in a recent interview on the “You’re Welcome! With Chael Sonnen” podcast, “Rush” said he still has no concrete plans to step back in the octagon.

“I’m going to tell you the truth: I always train,” St-Pierre told Sonnen. “I started training when I was 7 years old. I’ve never stopped. Training it part of my life, so it doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t mean I’m going to be back or not.

“Whether I retire or not or come back or not, I’m always going to be training. I like to feel in shape and feel good in my own skin. That’s why I’m training.”

Not long after his hiatus began, St-Pierre was frequently asked if and when he would return to the UFC octagon. However, his knee injury paused much of the speculation. While he conducts the occasional interview or appears in teammates’ corners at events, St-Pierre’s connection to the fight world has lessened.

Over the past month, though, speculation has ramped up regarding a potential return to the UFC. Firas Zahabi, St-Pierre’s longtime head coach at Canada’s Tristar Gym in Montreal, hinted at least one more fight could be on the horizon for his star pupil.

Moreover, UFC President Dana White and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta reportedly met with St-Pierre in his hometown of Montreal earlier this month. In response to questions about the meeting, White said he’d be happy to welcome St-Pierre back to the octagon if he’s itching to fight.

St-Pierre’s inner battle to keep motivated through training camps played a significant role in giving up his title. He shared more details regarding that battle in his conversation with Sonnen, and he admitted the quality of his training dwindled during his final bouts.

“I didn’t feel that hunger, that will to fight,” St-Pierre said. “When I fought Johny Hendricks (in November 2013), I was like, ‘If you put happiness on a scale, who would be more happy to win the title? Me to win another title, or would it be Johny Hendricks to win the title for the first time?’ I realized the guys who were coming, the new guys, they would be way more happy than me to win a title.”

St-Pierre’s career accomplishments during are in a class of their own. To name a few, the 32-year-old holds the record for most UFC wins with 19, has avenged both of his professional losses, and recorded 10 consecutive title defenses before vacating the belt.

His dominant mix of high-level striking and unmatched wrestling ability made St-Pierre a nearly unbeatable force during his lengthy title reign. With his lack of motivation, though, came a noticeable roadblock in the progression of his skill set.

St-Pierre said he had no desire to allow other talents in the sport to pass him by, and as a result, he walked away and won’t be back until he knows he’s still capable of competing against the elite.

“When you lost the motivation, you cannot reinvent yourself, and you stay the same Georges St-Pierre you are, and for me, it was time for me (to walk away),” St-Pierre said. “After the (Hendricks) fight I was like, ‘Man, you need to take time off to see where I’m going. I have a lack of motivation and I don’t want to wait until it’s too late.’

“If you lose a race in another sport, it’s not bad. But if you lose a fight in mixed martial arts, you get damage. It’s very bad. I wanted to take some time off to see where I’m going. If I ever come back, it’s going to be important for me to reinvent myself and become a much better version than I was.”

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