Canadian mixed martial artist Georges St-Pierre says he's "still emotional" about the cancellation of his UFC comeback fight against Michael Bisping, though he's still set on a return.
The two-time former champion says he has "no idea" what will happen next, now that his fight has been nixed. St-Pierre was originally supposed to take a shot at claiming Bisping's middleweight title, but UFC President Dana White cancelled the fight because St-Pierre couldn’t be ready for the summer.
"I wanted to fight Michael Bisping, and I know Michael Bisping wanted to fight me," St-Pierre told CTVNews.ca on Thursday in Toronto.
.@GeorgesStPierre kicks a beer off a fan's head #UFC #budlightliving pic.twitter.com/eVLTwWABlv
— Josh Elliott (@joshelliott14) May 11, 2017
White cancelled the showdown on Wednesday, saying the middleweight division can't wait on St-Pierre's schedule. White had previously hinted at a July fight, while St-Pierre said he wouldn't be ready until November.
St-Pierre and Bisping appeared together at a promotional press conference in March, but no official date had been set.
"They say they can’t wait for me, but they knew before that I can’t fight in the summer," St-Pierre said.
St-Pierre explained that his sponsorship deals are an important part of being an athlete, because they help him make a living.
"We're entertainers - we have a lot of commitments," St-Pierre said. "It’s important for us to have support from sponsors because we live through that."
St-Pierre was in Toronto to promote Bud Light Living Rooms, a summer-long promotion offering fans a chance to book party rooms with celebs like "GSP" and others.
"That's part of our living... When you sign for something, you honour it," St-Pierre said.
As for the UFC, St-Pierre says he still holds out hope that the fight will happen.
"I’m better than I was," he said. "I would not have come back if I would have been the same, because the sport has improved."
St-Pierre currently holds a 25-2 record in mixed martial arts, and a 19-2 record in the UFC.
St-Pierre recently inked a four-fight deal with the UFC. The 35-year-old is aiming to fight at the middleweight level, a division up from the welterweight class at which he dominated for several years. St-Pierre walked away from the welterweight title in late 2013, and hasn’t fought since.
St-Pierre acknowledged that he’s putting his legacy on the line with a comeback, and he doesn’t want to simply become a "punching bag" for up-and-comers. "If I come back, it’s to win," he said, adding: "If it’s not a win, this is it. I’m done."