Firas Zahabi on Georges St-Pierre: ‘He gets excited about the idea of fighting again’

The talk of former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre getting back to fighting in the UFC has been very polarized. From St-Pierre himself saying he was “starting to get the feeling” of getting back to fighting, to UFC President Dana White saying St-Pierre was absolutely done, speculation continues on whether or not “Rush” will ever return to the Octagon.

St-Pierre’s head coach Firas Zahabi recently spoke with ESPN on the subject as a welterweight championship showdown between champion Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit takes place this weekend.

“Georges is in Montreal right now. He’s getting his body in shape and we’re going to explore options in the near future. I don’t put any pressure on Georges. I don’t ask him if he wants to fight. He tells me whether he wants to fight or not. I sit there and listen to him. I think personally, these are not his words, there is more fight in him. I think he loves the sport and he gets excited about the idea of fighting again. I see him in practice all the time and the guy is incredible. He’s still the best. I think Georges is going to make a splash soon.”

When asked about the estranged relationship between St-Pierre and the UFC after his fight at UFC 167, Zahabi had some interesting things to say.

“All I can say is I’ve seen Georges a lot more up in spirits since he took a break. I think he’s been a lot happier. Listen, if you overwork somebody — and I’m not saying the UFC overworked Georges. I think Georges overworked Georges. He’s very difficult on himself. I’ll tell Georges he’s had enough and he’ll say, “please, just one more thing,” and that will turn into another two hours of training. He’s very disciplined. I think over time his batteries drained and he needed time off. Now, he’s one of the happiest people I’ve ever met. And what makes him even happier is competing and that’s why I think he’ll want to take it to the next level. Remember, Georges never had a personal life. I go home to my wife and kids, go to family get-togethers — Georges was always preparing. Now he’s balanced and I think he’s better for it.”

Do you think we will see Georges St-Pierre back in the Octagon in 2016? Share your thoughts in the comments on how you think he would do in a return to the UFC!