Georges St-Pierre: UFC Doesn’t Want Me To Fight Khabib Because ‘He’s An Icon’

Georges St. Pierre
Photo via YouTube - DAZN USA

Georges St-Pierre Talks Failed Negotiations For Khabib Nurmagomedov Fight

Georges St-Pierre announced that he would be retiring from mixed martial arts, following failed negotiations for a fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov. Recently, he opened up about what transpired before that point, and why the fight did not come together.

When GSP said he was going to retire, it was always with the caveat that he would return for a fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov. According to him, this was the only fight he wanted, and the UFC would not allow it to happen. Subsequently, he made the decision to retire.

However, this is not the first time GSP has stepped away from MMA. Therefore, there is doubt as to whether or not he meant it. In a recent interview with Robin Black, he reaffirmed that he is standing by his decision.

“I am retired.”

Not only that, but he explained his decision in more detail.

“I retired because I didn’t want to go back and do the same thing over and over again. Taking a fight takes a lot out of me because I’m very proud so when I perform I have to do it the best I can and the result matters very much for me. So it takes a lot of stress on me.

I didn’t want to take another training camp of two-three months – maybe six months with the whole building up with the promotion and everything – out of my life to fight another guy that I don’t have nothing to gain in terms of legacy. If I fight someone and I take six months of my life to focus on it . . . I would need that to be worth it to me. Not only money-wise but legacy wise and satisfaction wise. That’s why I wanted to fight Khabib because I could have lost big but at least I could have win big.”

However, Georges St-Pierre did say that he is leaving the door open still, for that elusive Khabib fight. Although it is not something that he sees as a high probability.

“If I ever come back, it’s not impossible but right now I don’t see nothing. The UFC refuse a fight with Khabib and I and there’s nothing that really excites me.”

More than that, GSP further detailed why he believes this fight was something that the UFC is not interested in.

“It makes sense in a way. My agent explained it to me like, maybe he represents a significant investment for UFC. He reaches a different type of clientele, from the Middle East, the Muslim world idolizing him. He’s an icon. Imagine that they invest a lot of money to promote a big fight between Khabib and I and I win the fight. [Wipes hands and smiles]. I’m out. I’m not interested in signing a fight with Khabib and guarantee them that I want to go back and fight another contender.”

This is an interesting point from GSP, regarding the UFC’s desire to use Khabib to reach a large market. Nurmagomedov is looked at as a national hero in Russia. This is a market that the UFC has never been able to quite fully capitalize on. With UFC 242 being headlined by him, in Abu Dhabi, there will begin to be a real sense of how big Khabib can be.

Do you think Georges St-Pierre will ever fight Khabib Nurmagomedov?

Published on September 6, 2019 at 9:49 am
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