Georges St-Pierre has been linked to a potential super fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov but this massive clash never materialized.
St-Pierre last appeared in the Octagon in November 2017, when he returned from a long lay-off and defeated Michael Bisping for the middleweight championship. He then vacated the said title after 34 days because he was suffering from ulcerative colitis.
Back in 2018, the former two-weight champion said he wants to make an MMA comeback and cut down to 155 pounds to face the Russian champion but UFC president Dana White urged him to stay at welterweight.
In a recent interview with ESPN, the French-Canadian fighter revealed why the UFC did not pursue the fight.
“I know Khabib wanted to have that fight, I want it, but the thing is, if you look from the UFC’s side, I think it’s normal if I put myself in their shoes,” he said (per MMA Junkie).
Not A Good Move
GSP admits pursuing the fight would be a risky move for the Nevada-based promotion as it remains uncertain whether he would defend the lightweight strap if he beats Nurmagomedov.
“They didn’t want to take the risk of me winning the title and then after vacating again,” the MMA GOAT said.
“I didn’t even want it for the title, I would rather do it not for a title. For me, it was because I considered Khabib, right now, the best fighter in the world, and he wanted to fight me as well so I thought it was a good fan fight.”
“They had other plans for Khabib and I understand that.”
“They had a lot to lose and if they invest into that fight and their investment goes out after, it’s not a good move.”
A Compliment
The MMA GOAT, though, does not hold any grudge against his former company but he is taking the UFC’s decision as a compliment.
“In a way, I could take that as a compliment because maybe they saw me as a threat for them. That means maybe they thought I could win the fight. If they let me fight him, it’s because they think I would have lost. So that’s why.”
“Rush” has also given a different take on the ‘MMA GOAT’ race, saying the best fighter in the Octagon does not exist.
“I don’t think there is nobody that is the greatest.”
“Let me explain that to you. There is three guys, right? This guy will beat [that] guy, [that] guy will beat [the other] guy, and [the other] guy will beat this guy.”
“That’s how it is in this game. . . It’s just a matter of timing.”
(Featured Image Source: Instagram/ Georges St-Pierre and Khabib Nurmagomedov)