The MMA world was able to breathe a sigh of relief last month when UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre announced he had been given a clean bill of health from his doctors and was able to resume training at full speed. While GSP?s coaching guru, Firas Zahabi, also greeted the news with a smile it appears to have been one with clenched teeth.
Zahabi recently expressed his opinion on St-Pierre?s return, slated for November 17 at UFC 154 against interim title-holder Carlos Condit, and explained he had some reservations about ?Rush? coming back so soon.
?I would have preferred, obviously, if he could have waited a little longer. I think it would have been the best, more ideal, but Georges really wanted to fight. The fans wanted to see him fight. The fight?s coming to Montreal,? said Zahabi in an interview with Sherdog Radio. ?I told Georges, ?Let?s do one last sparring. Let?s see where you?re at in sparring.? And he did great. He went all his rounds. He went with every UFC fighter. He looked fantastic, and we said, ?Look, you?re ready. Let?s do it.??
?The only reason I said I would have liked to wait longer is because I wouldn?t want to rush the healing process, not that we did, but we really did it right on the deadline,? the respected trainer elaborated.
St-Pierre Out to Finish Condit to Prove Critics Wrong
The 22-2 St-Pierre is coming off an eighteen-month layoff after a pair of knee injuries, the most serious of which involved a torn ACL. Prior to the situation he had racked up nine straight wins including six title-defenses.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
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