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By Hunter Homistek



Georges St-Pierre is the most frustratingly perfect fighter in the history of the UFC.



Monday, GSP announced his intent to return to the UFC Octagon during an episode of The MMA Hour. Hopefully, GSP said, the return would come against current middleweight champion Michael Bisping.



That’s what’s frustrating: St-Pierre, the longtime welterweight king, suddenly announces his interest in the 185-pound division. When St-Pierre ruled the roost at 170, a fight at middleweight was out of the question. Anderson Silva was busy wiping out contender after contender at middleweight while St-Pierre did the same 15 pounds south, but a superfight never materialized.



At the time, both champions were dominant, reigning over their divisions with ease. The superfight made all kinds of sense. It was hotly requested by fans and critics alike. St-Pierre vs. Silva was, at the time, perhaps the biggest fight to make in the world.



It never happened. It’s not all St. Pierre’s fault, but he wasn’t clamoring to jump into “The Spider’s” web, either. Now, however, almost three years removed from the sport, the landscape has changed, and so has St. Pierre’s tune.



Silva coughed up his title to Chris Weidman, losing back-to- back fights against the New Yorker in 2013. Then, Weidman lost to Luke Rockhold at UFC 194, who would go on to lose to Michael Bisping at UFC 199. Dominance no longer rules the middleweight division, and St-Pierre wants a piece of the volatility.



While the Canadian fighter left the sport on a 12-fight winning streak, his performances grew less and less dominant. His last fight inside the Octagon before announcing his hiatus came at UFC 167 against Johny Hendricks in November 2013. He won the fight via split decision, but he took an absolute beating in process. Many felt the title should have changed hands right then.



Following the fight, St-Pierre took a break. Removed from the welterweight title picture, gold changed hands from Hendricks to current champ Robbie Lawler.



Like in the middleweight division, things suddenly felt more open, more obtainable at 170. With St-Pierre gone, it’s open season for contenders to step up with a legitimate chance at gold. So when St-Pierre announced he’d return to the sport, many expected him to jump back to 170 and reclaim the title he never really lost.



Wrong. WRONG.



St-Pierre turned his attention to 185 instead. It’s frustrating because it makes so much sense. It’s so calculated and smart that you can’t even be mad. Lawler is a savage who boasts knockout power from all angles. He’s intense. He enjoys laying a beating on his opponents, and he doesn’t care what kind of damage he must absorb to get the job done.



He’s the kind of guy St-Pierre, at 35 years old and returning to the sport after a three-year layoff, probably shouldn’t face.



Just like St-Pierre’s performances inside the Octagon, he’s minimizing risk with this latest announcement. He’s getting the takedown, taking top control, and riding out the win in a fashion that suits him and his long-term health.



Bisping knocked out Rockhold in impressive fashion at UFC 199, but the British banger has never been known for his one-shot knockout power. In fact, he’s been called “pillow fists” by opponents and critics alike. He’s not known for his wrestling, either, an area which St-Pierre excels.



As a final bit of incentive for St-Pierre, Bisping is a name. Maybe his name doesn’t carry weight like Silva’s did in his prime, but “Bisping” definitely means something in MMA circles, casual or hardcore. He’s been around forever, and he’s maintained relevance all the way, talking and punching his way to the top of the sport in 2016. He’s exponentially more popular than Lawler.



For St-Pierre’s return, Bisping is the safer fighter. He’s the bigger fight. He’s the fight that, should he lose, he can step back and say, ‘Wow, I guess I was undersized at middleweight, huh?’ There’s a built-in safety net when fighters compete out of their weight class, and don’t think for a second St-Pierre doesn’t know that.



He does.



He knows it because he’s the smartest, most calculated mixed martial artist in history. In a career defined by brilliance, St. Pierre’s latest decision extends the narrative. It’s the kind of move you love to hate.



It’s classic GSP, and you’re a fool if you expected anything different.

