Georges St. Pierre to Compete Against Demian Maia on Dec. 14th

Maia vs. GSP?

Brendan Fitzgerald (UFC Commentator and Host) announced on part of the UFC that Georges St. Pierre will compete at the UFC’s Fight Pass Invitational 6 on December 14th. The announcement was made before the Pre-Fight Press Conference for UFC 290 on July 6th.

GSP IS BACK IN ACTION!

He’ll compete at #FPI6 on December 14th live on @UFCFightPass! pic.twitter.com/FVlgw6Dtrf

— UFC (@ufc) July 6, 2023

GSP touched on why he was deciding to return to active competition and why grappling, "First, I’m always in shape, I’m in great shape and competing in professional submission wrestling/Jiu-Jitsu- it’s very serious competition but the risks are to a minimum for someone in my position, it’s great, I’m 42 years old. I felt at the end when I retired, I was training but I needed, you know I like the kick of competition, I like to get it back, I like to feel the adrenaline again. I think it’s also an avenue for fighters who still want to compete, to make money, and to have fun with the fans and the family of the UFC." For more on the announcement click here.

At the time of the announcement, there was no opponent finalized but that seems to have been resolved as Demian Maia seemed to drop the news via. Twitter, “Every now and then, something comes up that still does really motivate you. 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."

Every now and then, something comes up that still does really motivate you.
Grappling @GeorgesStPierre 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.

— Demian Maia (@demianmaia) July 20, 2023

For St. Pierre, this will be his return to action since relinquishing the Middleweight title that he won at UFC 217 on November 2017 due to a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. GSP is a two-time Welterweight champ and one-time Middleweight champ in the UFC, St. Pierre retired with an MMA record of 26-2 with six submission wins across his career, and was widely regarded as one of the best wrestlers/grapplers the UFC had to offer. GSP is certainly educated on the ground, as St. Pierre is a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu and a longtime student of acclaimed instructor- John Danaher.

Maia on the other hand has amassed a record of 28-11 in MMA with a staggering 14 wins by submission. While not officially retired, Maia hasn"t competed in MMA since June 2021. Maia is a fifth-degree black belt and an ADCC champion. Maia returned to competitive grappling in May of last year against Alex Oliveira, Maia defeated Oliveira via. Submission. Maia is widely regarded as one of the best Jiu-Jitsu practitioners the UFC has ever had on its roster.