GSP: I am better now than when I was champion

Old Georges St-Pierre says you shouldn't be worried about the old Georges St-Pierre.

By the time GSP makes his expected return to competition later this year, he'll be 36, the age at which most athletes are getting ready to walk away from their sport. The former welterweight champion hasn't said who he plans to fight next or even what division he'll be competing in, but what he does know is that he'll be the best version of himself when the time comes.

"I think for me it's a good time to come back now because I'm 35 years old," said St-Pierre in a video posted by his sponsor Hayabusa on Wednesday. "I just finished a training camp that I did to see if I can come back to the world-class level and I feel I'm at the best shape of my life. I feel better than I've ever been.

"Georges St-Pierre now would beat the Georges St-Pierre that was the greatest of the time that he used to compete. So I can't wait to go back in there and show people, including myself, to test my skill, and see how everything goes."

That's a lofty claim considering that St-Pierre's first run in MMA ended with 12 straight victories and a 25-2 record overall. If he has anything to say about it, the second chapter of his career will be even more memorable.