Editor's note: The article has been updated at 1:55 to reflect a dispute about the veracity of the fighter's confirmation of the grappling match.
One of the greatest fighters of all time is going to change disciplines to take on one of the best grapplers to ever compete in MMA.
According to FloGrappling on Thursday, former Ultimate Fighting Championship two-division champion Georges St. Pierre has an opponent for his grappling debut in December. At Fight Pass Invitation 6, which will likely be held at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, St. Pierre will ply his trade against Brazilian submission icon Demian Maia. The rules will likely be submission-only, with special overtime provisions that will be announced at a later date. News of this pairing, one that will headline the Dec. 14 event airing on UFC Fight Pass, was confirmed by Maia on social media.
“Every now and then, something comes up that still does really motivate you,” Maia wrote. “Grappling Georges St. Pierre will be a huge challenge & great motivation. You GSP are one of the greatest competitors ever, whom I respect a lot. I’m game! Looking forward to competing at UFC invitational.”
The last time “GSP” competed as a professional, he put then-middleweight kingpin Michael Bisping to sleep with a rear-naked choke to claim a belt in a second weight class. That return came after nearly four years away, when St. Pierre initially retired in 2013 after winning 12 welterweight bouts in a row, all but one for a title. Throughout his career, the Canadian has landed submissions on the likes of Matt Hughes, Frank Trigg and Pete Spratt, to name a few. Only one man ever tapped him out: Hughes, and St. Pierre went on to avenge the loss by knocking out and later submitting Hughes in their rematch and rubber match, respectively.
The 45-year-old Maia hung up his gloves after a decision loss to Belal Muhammad in 2021. Although later passed by Charles Oliveira, at one time, Maia held the UFC record for the most submissions ever performed. The man from Sao Paulo, Brazil, still celebrates the top spot for rear-naked chokes in the Octagon, with eight – and Oliveira and Renato Carneiro both trail him with six each. The last MMA victory for Maia came against Ben Askren, as he ran roughshod over the wrestler before rendering him unconscious with a rear-naked choke. Maia has never been tapped out as a professional.
Shortly after this news broke, MMA Junkie reported that the matchup was not finalized, despite Maia stating that he would be grappling St. Pierre. The news outlet mentioned that other opponents are still being discussed, and that this fight was not official.
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