GSP, Condit vie for unified UFC championship

Thursday November 15, 2012 7:43 PM By SCOTT FONTANA

Photo credit: UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre of Canada. (Getty Image | UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre of Canada

After more than 18 months away, welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre will make his return to the octagon Saturday night when he looks to unify the UFC title belts against interim champ Carlos Condit at UFC 154 in Montreal.

St-Pierre (22-2, 16-2 UFC) hasn't entered the cage since suffering a torn ACL in training. He last fought on April 30, 2011, when he earned a decision against Jake Shields. In his absence, the UFC crowned Condit (28-5, 5-1) the 170-pound division's interim titleholder when he won a decision against Nick Diaz on Feb. 4.

It will be interesting to see how St-Pierre responds to a lengthy layoff. He's an explosive athlete, and a severe knee injury could limit him both physically and mentally. Well-timed takedowns are a large part of his game, and Condit could take advantage if his timing is off.

St-Pierre has not finished opponents lately, with just one stoppage victory in the last four years. The same can't be said for Condit, an offense-first fighter who has finishes in 26 of his 28 wins.

The health of St-Pierre's knee makes picking a winner tough to gauge, but it's hard to go against a fighter who hasn't lost since 2007. St-Pierre should earn the decision in a competitive bout.

Tags: SPORTS , GSP , CONDIT , UFC