Who is George Sotiropoulos? Australian UFC veteran set to fight for the first time since 2014

A decade ago, George Sotiropoulos was the most prominent Australian fighter in the UFC. The 45-year-old is now coming out of retirement to compete against Josh Togo in a lightweight contest at Hex Fight Series 26 on May 26 at the Melbourne Pavilion.

An alumnus of The Ultimate Fighter, Sotiropoulos is credited with bringing mixed martial arts into mainstream Australian sports. He competed in the UFC's lightweight division between December 2007 and October 2013, fighting 11 times inside the octagon, with seven consecutive wins followed by four consecutive losses on his promotional record, ultimately leading to his release.

George Sotiropoulos holds notable wins over George Roop, Joe Stevenson and Joe Lauzon, coming close to a title shot at the beginning of 2011. However, a loss to Dennis Siver derailed his momentum and sent his career into freefall.

The last time Sotiropoulos entered the cage was against Mike Ricci at Titan FC 29 in 2014, where he lost via decision before announcing his retirement from the sport. The 45-year-old Australian is on a five-fight losing slide.

Meanwhile, his next opponent Josh Togo has won eight of his last nine fights and holds a 12-4 professional record.

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Fans react to former UFC lightweight contender George Sotiropoulos returning to action after an extended layoff

The news of Australian MMA pioneer George Sotiropoulos making a comeback to the sport has taken many combat sports fans by surprise. The 45-year-old, who paved the way for the current crop of Australian UFC stars, will make his HEX debut on May 26.

As the news was reported in a tweet by MMA journalist Hyon Ko, many shared their reactions to the Australian MMA veteran's return in the comments section.

MMA writer Drake Riggs expressed his surprise, saying:

"Sure didn't expect this today."

One user claimed:

"This ain't gonna be good for George....."

One fan praised George Sotiropoulos, saying:

"We might have Volk, Whittaker and JDM now, but once upon a time George was our best MMA fighter!"

Another user asked:

"What the blood clot this man is probably as old as I am. Why is he doing this?!?"

Another fan wrote:

"Wow that's a name I haven't heard in years. Good guy."

One fan reminisced:

"I remember when he had a nice little win streak going and was gunning for the belt. I have to wonder what rolled him out of retirement."

One user pointed out:

"That’s nuts. He was crazy good back in the day."