Georges St. Pierre

By FCF Staff

After weeks of negotiations, and even a claim from Georges St-Pierre’s camp that he’s a free agent, the former welterweight champ and the UFC are reportedly close to signing a new deal.

St-Pierre confirmed in 2016 that he wanted to fight again, and the Canadian enrolled in USADA’s drug testing pool, as a means to facilitate his return. But, since the star announced his hiatus before the Reebok uniform deal was in place, St-Pierre’s team have been negotiating for a new contract, which compensates him for sponsorship revenue he will lose.

According to a report from MMA Fighting, sources are saying that St-Pierre and the UFC have agreed to terms, and that a multi-fight contract could be finalized soon. If that happens, the expectation is that St-Pierre would make his return to the Octagon in the third quarter of this year.

The 35 year-old hasn’t fought since 2013, when he earned a tightly contested, split decision win over Johny Hendricks. After the controversial bout, St-Pierre announced he was taking a hiatus.

More recently, St-Pierre has said he’s interested in fighting middleweight champion Michael Bisping.