Georges St-Pierre announces plan to compete in submission grappling this December
Former two-division UFC champion Georges St-Pierre plans to compete in submission grappling at the UFC Fight Pass Invitational 6.
An MMA legend will soon compete in submission grappling.
On Thursday, former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre – a man widely regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial artists ever – announced that he plans to compete at the UFC Fight Pass Invitational 6 on December 14.
“Hey guys, Georges St-Pierre here. I want to announce that I’m returning to competition into the world of professional submission wrestling on UFC Fight Pass Invitational on December 14. It’s never been a better time to be a jiu-jitsu fan, ladies and gentlemen.”
The promotion has not yet named St-Pierre’s opponent.
This will not be the first time the 42-year-old has competed in grappling at a high level. In 2005, while he was very much in the thick of his UFC career, St-Pierre put on a respectable showing at the ADCC World Championships, defeating Trials winner Otto Olson before losing by submission to elite black belt (and future UFC standout) Leonardo Santos.
Although he comes from a karate background, St-Pierre earned the majority of his wins in the UFC on the strength of his powerful wrestling, smothering top control, and excellent overall ground game.
The Canadian won the UFC welterweight title on two occasions and successfully defended it an incredible nine times to firmly establish himself as one of the most dominant champions the sport has ever seen. In 2013, he left the UFC and vacated that belt, only to return in 2017 when he defeated Michael Bisping to capture the UFC middleweight title in stunning fashion. St-Pierre subsequently retired from MMA and has not competed in any sport since then.
St-Pierre will no doubt have plenty of potential opponents chomping at the bit to face him in submission grappling. He is a longtime student of John Danaher and continues to frequently train at New Wave Jiu-Jitsu, so any competitors out of that camp are likely out of the question, but practically any other grappler that weighs between 175 and 200 pounds should be on the table.
If he doesn’t face a BJJ competitor, St-Pierre could also be matched against a number of MMA fighters – whether retired or not – that possess a grappling background. Former opponents Jake Shields and Nick Diaz both come to mind as potential opponents for the former champion. Or, if he can be coaxed out of retirement, former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov would make for an intriguing matchup.
How to watch: The UFC Fight Pass Invitational 6 takes place on December 14 and will air live on UFC Fight Pass (subscription required).
