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Rush's Return: A timeline of GSP's storied career ahead of UFC 217

Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA TODAY

It's about that time.

After a near four-year layoff, two-time former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre is finally set to lace up the 4-ounce gloves once more in the UFC 217 main event, where he challenges middleweight champion Michael Bisping in his divisional debut on Nov. 4.

Before he reintroduces himself at Madison Square Garden, here's a rundown of all the noteworthy moments comprising St-Pierre's illustrious career, from his promotional debut to his greatest victories and crushing defeats to his raucous return from hiatus:

Jan. 31, 2004

A fresh-faced, 22-year-old St-Pierre makes his first walk to the Octagon in a meeting with Karo Parisyan at UFC 46 with a 5-0 pro record. Dominate, he does not, but he flashes a glimpse of what's to come some years later in a unanimous decision victory over the ever-resilient Armenian judoka.

Oct. 22, 2004

Nine months and a TKO of Jay Hieron after beating Parisyan, the youngster meets welterweight great Matt Hughes for the vacant divisional strap at UFC 50, where the veteran hands him his comeuppance in the form of a first-round submission via armbar.

Nov. 19, 2005

St-Pierre becomes the first man to finish longtime contender Sean Sherk at UFC 56, a performance he one-ups seconds later by begging the brass - on his knees - for another shot at divisional gold in a postfight interview.

Sep. 23, 2006

The Quebecer watches Hughes defend his title in Anaheim at UFC 63 - a bill an injury kept him from gracing - with a third-round stoppage of BJ Penn, whom St-Pierre had edged in a razor-close decision to cement his claim to the throne six months prior.

In a scene that has since been immortalized, St-Pierre - the slice of humble pie Hughes fed him long digested - invades the cage that housed the champ's triumph and snatches his thunder by cheekily belittling his performance.

"I'm very glad you won that fight, Matt, but I'm not impressed by your performance and I look forward to fight you in the near future."

*Mic drop*

Nov. 18, 2006

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Revenge is a dish best served by head kick.

"Rush" gets even with Hughes and captures the gold as emphatically as he was beaten two years earlier, wilting his former foe to the canvas with a shin to the dome before finishing the job with punches a just over a minute into Round 2 of UFC 65's main event.

April 7, 2007

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

The best of times swiftly regress into the worst of times, as Matt Serra puts a bow on his "TUF 4" run with arguably the greatest upset in UFC history at St-Pierre's expense.

Serra, an 11-1 underdog, needn't resort to his jiu-jitsu to induce a bevy of coronaries in the combat sports world, instead rendering the reign of St-Pierre - one of the show's coaches - to a one-and-done with fists of fury for the stoppage in under four minutes at UFC 69.

Dec. 29, 2007

With Serra nursing a back injury, St-Pierre's sophomore path to revenge goes through a rubber match with Hughes for an interim belt at UFC 79, where he closes the book on the rivalry and all but sets his rematch with Serra in stone with a second-round submission.

April 19, 2008

GSP washes off the stink of his year-old loss to Serra in a rematch at UFC 83, capping a beatdown with unanswered knees to the New Yorker's midsection for the stoppage with 15 seconds to go in Round 2.

The victory unifies the welterweight championship and births what will become a lengthy, iron-fisted reign in front of St-Pierre's Montreal faithful.

Jan. 31, 2009

The undisputed welterweight king shares the cage with Penn - then the lightweight titleholder - in the promotion's first clash of champions on Super Bowl weekend at UFC 94.

A closely contested affair soon morphs into a dominant showing from St-Pierre, leaving Penn's corner little choice but to put the battered and exhausted lightweight champ out of his misery after the fourth round.

April 30, 2011

In an otherwise forgettable fight against MMA's most notorious cooler in Jake Shields at UFC 129, St-Pierre takes a unanimous verdict for his sixth successful title defense, one that breaks Hughes' record.

Nov. 16, 2013

After extending his reign with decisions over Carlos Condit and Shields' teammate Nick Diaz, the champ narrowly avoids his first defeat in over six years with a split call over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167, a bout that many - including president Dana White - believe should have gone to the challenger.

St-Pierre once again relegates the night's action to the back of our minds in his postfight interview, announcing he has to "go away for a little bit" to tend to some personal issues.

Dec. 13, 2013

The welterweight great vacates the title and makes his hiatus official at age 32, but remains tight-lipped on the issues outside the Octagon that fueled his decision.

March 27, 2014

Those pining for GSP's return to the cage see their hopes obliterated by a torn ACL he suffers in training:

June 20, 2016

A reinvigorated St-Pierre puts an end to recurring rumblings and announces he's ready to return to competition, provided he and the UFC can hammer out a new contract.

Aug. 10, 2016

The former champ doubles down on his claim and announces he's re-entered the USADA testing pool in the first step toward re-taking the Octagon.

Rumors of a return at UFC 206 in December surface, with reigning middleweight champ Bisping leading the charge. St-Pierre later refutes them.

Feb. 15, 2017

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

After months-long negotiations - during which he declared himself a free agent - GSP and the UFC agree to terms on a new deal for his comeback. The welterweight luminary reveals he signed a four-fight contract several weeks later.

March 1, 2017

UFC president Dana White announces St-Pierre will return not as a welterweight, but as a middleweight to challenge Bisping at a yet-to-be-determined date. He later drops July's International Fight Week - specifically UFC 213 - as the target card.

May 11, 2017

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

With St-Pierre and Bisping battling lingering eye and knee injuries, respectively, that will keep them out of action until the fall, White cuts the cord on the former's divisional debut.

May 30, 2017

"If I come back and I lose, this is it for me."

St-Pierre announces he'll walk away from the sport again should he be handed his first defeat since losing to Serra.

July 6, 2017

Just over a week after White sets his sights on a welterweight title shot for his comeback bout, GSP makes a formal, last-ditch attempt at securing a date with Bisping - who's been relentlessly campaigning for it himself - in a text sent to both the Brit and the UFC boss.

July 29, 2017

Thanks to a five-round dud between reigning welterweight king Tyron Woodley and Demian Maia at UFC 214, GSP's will is done as White puts the gears for the Bisping bout back into motion at the postfght presser.

Aug. 9, 2017

Pen meets paper, one week after Bisping drops the bomb. St-Pierre vs. Bisping. UFC 217, Madison Square Garden, Nov. 4.

Aug. 26, 2017

Mere hours before Conor McGregor makes his boxing debut against Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas, the promotion formally announces UFC 217's headlining bout. The countdown begins.

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