MMA debates are alive and well. Especially on social media. Scroll down the timeline and fans of the sport will always see at least one of these questions. Who is the greatest fighter of all time? Who is the GOAT of their respective division? And, who is on the Mount Rushmore of mixed martial arts? Well, according to Javier Mendez, a battle between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Georges St Pierre would determine who the true GOAT is.
On multiple occasions, both Nurmagomedov and St Pierre have expressed a desire to fight each other. However, there’s no ill-intent or malice behind those desires. Instead, both men are motivated by the essence of martial arts as well as building a legacy. In the case of GSP and Khabib, it’s more so maintaining a legacy and building upon it.
Javier Mendez on Khabib vs GSP
Khabib’s coach, Javier Mendez of the American Kickboxing Acadamy spoke about the potential matchup on an MMA Junkie podcast. Furthermore, he discussed the high stakes, and what it could mean for the winner of the match if it were to happen.
“Yeah, I think so, and so does Khabib,” said Mendez on “Hablemos MMA.” “The person that beats GSP will be the best of all time; I think so.”
“He doesn’t want that fight for money and that’s what his father wanted,” Mendez said.
“He told me, ‘That’s what my father wants. What do you think coach?’ And I was like, ‘You know, if that’s what your father wants, we can do it, and if that’s what you want as well.’ And he’s like, ‘Yeah, I want to do it for my father, so I’m like, ‘Let’s do it.’
“But if he doesn’t want to end his career he can jump back in there. He’s young, he’s only 31, so he still has a more years of fighting. I’m not going to tell him he has to fight. I’m going to go with what he wants to do.”
Making the Fight
The potential bout has been teased ever since Khabib captured the lightweight title. However, no documents were ever signed to make the match official. Fans could assume that the idea of a match between both fighters is long gone. Now, Khabib has a host of hungry contenders in the lightweight division. While St Pierre seems to be enjoying retirement fruitfully.
