Boxing trainer Freddie Roach to corner GSP in Bisping bout

Freddie Roach's role in Georges St-Pierre's return to the Octagon is growing.

After brokering a sitdown between St-Pierre's team and the UFC to hammer out a four-fight deal, the legendary boxing trainer told the Boston Herald he'd promised to corner GSP when he ends a three-year layoff against middleweight champ Michael Bisping later this year.

The bout - still without a date - will mark Roach's debut as an MMA cornerman.

The Massachusetts native has lent St-Pierre his ring savvy on more than one occasion, and aims to do the same on fight night, although the fighter's camp has yet to determine who will relay him their in-fight adjustments between rounds. The welterweight great may call Firas Zahabi's Tristar guild home, but Roach suspects the fight-night duties will fall on him, if only for his longstanding relationship with St-Pierre.

"That would be my first time in a corner for MMA, yes," Roach said, according to Jack Encarnacao. "It’s a little bit different, obviously, but the thing is, you have different coaches. And one thing I know about coaching is that people only listen to one person. So somebody will be in control of what’s going on, and we’ll all work together while the round’s going on and help each other.

"Who’s going to be the speaker that night is whoever Georges is most comfortable with, and it will probably be me, I think, but we’ll see how that goes. I think Georges has a lot of confidence in me, and I in him."

The 57-year-old Roach has trained a number of legendary pugilists, including Manny Pacquiao, and whether he ends up leading the charge in GSP's comeback bout or not, his acumen should be a boon for St-Pierre, who'll be at a great size disadvantage against Bisping and hasn't fought since November 2013, when he edged Johny Hendricks by split decision at UFC 167.