Georges St-Pierre talks “legacy fight” with Khabib Nurmagomedov
Georges St-Pierre, former welterweight and middleweight champion in the UFC, is without doubt one of the greatest MMA fighters and combat sports athletes to ever walk the earth. His list of accomplishments is long and he has achieved much, but there are still feats that have eluded his storied career.
One of those fights that have eluded him is a potential bout with undefeated lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov – who has also been clear on wanting the fight. The super fight never materialised though, and “GSP” retired.
Now, speaking with TSN’s Montreal 690 radio show, St-Pierre spoke about the Nurmagomedov fight.
“A lot of people are attention-seekers; they retire to come back,” he said. “I’m not that type of guy. We tried to make the fight with Khabib and the UFC told us they had other plans.
“Khabib wanted the fight, I wanted the fight, but unfortunately, it did not happen. That’s the reason why I retired,” he continued. “And for me, it’s a lot more to lose than to win now. And the most important thing for me is my health. And I’m no longer – right now as I’m talking – pursuing my goal, which back in the day was to be the best fighter in the world.
“I was for many years, and it’s not my number one priority anymore.”
Despite it no longer being his highest priority, “GSP” still sees a potential bout with Nurmagomedov as a legacy defining fight.
“If I want the legacy fight, Khabib is the man to beat right now,” St-Pierre said. “He is the best fighter in the world right now to me. Undefeated, and he hasn’t shown any kind of weakness. Nobody has ever been close to solving the puzzle. So that’s why it was very interesting for me.”
While seemingly impossible, a GSP-Khabib fight would undoubtedly be one of the biggest fights in MMA history – it may just be “the one that got away”.
Who would win a potential fight between St-Pierre and Nurmagomedov?
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