Will Georges St. Pierre Ever Be The Same?

UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre

Will St. Pierre return to old form?

By James Walker
HeavyMMA.com

Before I get started, I have a confession: I tore my anterior crucial ligament (ACL) in my right knee several years ago.

I was playing basketball and made a sudden move I should not have made. My body went one way, my right leg went the other way. The ACL was a casualty, as a result.

It felt like someone put a grenade on my knee and pulled the pin. The pain was immense and instantaneous for a few minutes. After the physical pain subsided, the mental anguish of reconstructive surgery and a long rehab weighed heavily.

UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre is 100 times the athlete I will ever be. But we have one big thing in common: We both went through the lengthy recovering process from ACL surgery.

I was never the same after my knee tear and rehab. What will be the fate of St. Pierre?

St. Pierre was at the top of the mixed martial arts world due to his athleticism and explosiveness. If this is compromised, even marginally, that will make a difference inside the octagon.

St. Pierre (22-2) will be put to the test Nov. 17 when he attempts to unify the welterweight title against interim champion Carlos Condit (28-5) at UFC 154. Although anything can happen in MMA, St. Pierre at 100 percent would be favored to topple Condit. However, St. Pierre at 70 or 80 percent could be in for a beating.

Condit is a very good fighter who is well-rounded and dangerous. This is the biggest threat St. Pierre has faced in years. He needs to be healthy and at the top of his game.

The welterweight title is not the only thing at stake. A potential superfight against pound-for-pound king Anderson Silva at Texas Stadium in 2013 could be next for St. Pierre if he gets by Condit.

No one knows for sure which version of St. Pierre we will see in Montreal. We know how great St. Pierre was. But how great will “Rush” be going forward?

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