Georges St-Pierre ranks his five greatest UFC fights

Georges St-Pierre’s long-awaited return to the UFC will happen against middleweight champion Michael Bisping, likely in a July date in Las Vegas, or later that month in Anaheim.

St-Pierre (25-2), the former welterweight champion, stepped away from the sport in 2013 following a grueling bout against Johny Hendricks and later unhappiness with the UFC’s since-improved drug-testing policy. He will appear Friday in Las Vegas at a news conference to detail his comeback plans.

Now 35, the Canadian St-Pierre has told UFC President Dana White he’s capable of fighting at middleweight (185 pounds), welterweight (170 pounds) and lightweight (155 pounds).

To recall his past glory, St-Pierre was asked by the Los Angeles Times Thursday to rank his best five UFC fights, and this is how he lists them.

Five: Carlos Condit, UFC 154, Montreal, Nov. 17, 2012

In the seventh of his nine consecutive welterweight title defenses, St-Pierre absorbed a punishing head kick halfway through the bout, but was able to remain atop his younger challenger and land sufficient punches to claim a fight-of-the-night victory by unanimous decision.

Four: Jon Fitch, UFC 87, Minneapolis, August 9, 2008

Fitch entered the fight needing one victory to pass Royce Gracie’s then-record eight consecutive victories in the UFC and had a 16-fight winning streak overall before St-Pierre dominated him with strikes and multiple takedowns in a lopsided unanimous-decision triumph.

Three: Thiago Alves, UFC 100, Las Vegas, July 11, 2009

Again, St-Pierre faced a fighter who was on a dominant run and broke him down with superb wrestling, endurance and strength, scoring 10 takedowns. The victory came despite St-Piere suffering a groin injury early in the fight.

Two: Matt Hughes II, UFC 65, Sacramento, Nov. 18, 2006

St-Pierre became a champion for the first time by avenging his first-round armbar loss to Hughes in UFC 50. While the first fight was an unsettling experience, St-Pierre’s impressive athleticism and skill shined as he rocked Hughes to close the first round and finished him in the second with a head kick and a barrage of punches on the canvas.

One: Matt Serra II, UFC 83, Montreal, April 19, 2008

Following perhaps the greatest UFC upset in history, when Matt Serra stopped St-Pierre with a series of first-round strikes, St-Pierre marked the UFC’s debut Canada card with a return to form by punishing Serra on the canvas in the first round and finishing him with knees to the midsection in the second.