The last time we saw Georges St-Pierre in the octagon, he was a bloody mess. St-Pierre barely held onto the UFC Middleweight title in a split decision over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167; most observers thought Hendricks had done enough to win, but St-Pierre managed to finish strong and impress the judges enough to hang onto his title. Less than a month later, St-Pierre vacated the belt and stepped away from the sport.

That was almost four years ago. On November 4, St-Pierre will return to face Michael Bisping for the Middleweight title at UFC 217, live from Madison Square Garden in New York City. Georges St-Pierre odds have hime as a –140 favorite at press time. Has the affable 36-year-old bitten off more than he can chew? Maybe not. St-Pierre is still two years younger than Bisping, and while the challenger has been idle, the champion has fought eight times while also going on countless media and promotional tours. Bisping might be running on fumes at this point.

 

Madison Octagon Garden

UFC officials are pulling out all the stops to make sure this event is a success. There are two other title matches on the main card: Cody Garbrandt will defend the Bantamweight title against TJ Dillashaw, and Rose Namajunas will challenge Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the Women’s Strawweight belt. Before those fights get underway, Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson will take on Jorge Masvidal in the Welterweight division.

The Thompson-Masvidal fight might be the most entertaining of the three. Thompson-Masvidal odds are already available, with Thompson checking in at –150; this is his chance for redemption after two failed attempts at taking the Welterweight strap off Tyron Woodley, the first by majority draw and the second by majority decision. In the Garbrandt vs Dillashaw fight, Dillashaw has the opportunity to regain the Bantamweight title he first won three years ago, although Garbrandt is the favorite to retain at –145.

But the main attraction for UFC 217 is definitely the main event. St-Pierre was considered one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters in the sport before that near-loss to Hendricks. Will his natural gifts and his intense training regimen put St-Pierre back on top, or will Bisping once again defy the MMA odds? We will find out on November 4. In the meantime, keep checking in for the latest UFC lines and analysis right here at Bovada.

 

*Odds as of September 29, 2017