Georges St. Pierre is about to become the first mixed martial artist ever inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.
On Thursday, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame announced that St. Pierre (26-2) would be a part of the 2023 membership class. The legendary mixed martial arts fighter, who is also a member of the UFC Hall of Fame, will be one of 11 individuals to receive this Canadian honor on Oct. 19. Among the hundreds inducted in the athlete or “builders of the sport” categories, “GSP” joins an impressive list of names including hockey greats Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, Mario Lemieux and Guy Lafleur, basketball star Steve Nash and fellow 2023 classmate 9th dan judoka Hiroshi Nakamura.
In addition to his Hall of Fame induction, he will be receiving the Order of Sport award, which is “Canada’s highest sporting honor that…recognizes Canadians who have achieved the highest level of sporting accomplishment and who have the purpose and passion for going beyond their sport success, educating all Canadians on the transformative power of sport.” This award was created in 2019, and it is given to all individuals and teams chosen for Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.
“I’m honored to be inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and receive the Order of Sport,” St-Pierre said in a statement provided by the UFC. “Martial arts changed my life and I was fortunate to be able to represent Canada on the biggest stage in the world. I want to thank UFC and all my fans, as none of this would have been possible without them.”
The all-time great from St. Isidore, Quebec, Canada, put a stamp on his career by snatching the middleweight title from Michael Bisping at UFC 217 in 2017. This victory came after nearly four years away from the sport, as “Rush” retired due to the pressure sustained by being a long-standing champion. Before surrendering his 170-pound belt in 2013, St. Pierre successfully defended his throne nine times in a row, a record at the time. His final run with the UFC saw him prevail in 13 consecutive bouts, where he is currently tied with four other combatants for the third-longest win streak in company history.
St. Pierre plans on returning to active competition later this year, albeit not in the sport of MMA. Instead, he will serve in the main event of UFC Fight Pass Invitational 6 in December, in a grappling match against a yet-to-be-determined opponent. Potential names of adversaries who have either voiced their interest in facing him or are rumored to be options include Demian Maia, Charles Oliveira, Khabib Nurmagomedov and former rival Nick Diaz. Additionally, the Canadian will be joining the commentary booth for Fight Pass Invitational 5 to call the matches, which will take place sometime in September.
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