Georges St-Pierre ‘would’ return to face Khabib Nurmagomedov for right deal
Georges St-Pierre may have called it a career back in February, but he’s not retired enough to turn down a potential fight against reigning UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Earlier this year when the former two-division UFC champion announced he was hanging up his gloves, St-Pierre pointed specifically to a failed attempt to fight Nurmagomedov as the final nail in the coffin regarding his retirement.
St-Pierre had flirted with retirement for some time but he still held out hopes that he could add another marquee opponent to his already stellar resume by taking on the undefeated Russian in a super fight for the ages.
At the time, UFC president Dana White shot down the possibility that the fight would ever happen, noting that St-Pierre returned previously to win the middleweight title with a submission over Michael Bisping only to vacate the belt weeks later.
“If the right fight came along, they know where to find me,” St-Pierre told ESPN in regards to ending his retirement to compete again. “We tried to make the right fight but it didn’t work.”
As much as White seemed to lobby against the fight previously, he’s changed his tune in recent months saying that he would consider booking St-Pierre vs. Nurmagomedov, especially considering how much both fighters want it to happen.
Nurmagomedov has called for a fight against St-Pierre on numerous occasions including his most recent contract negotiations with the UFC where his name came up prior to inking the deal.
All of that certainly plays a part in St-Pierre’s declaration that he’s retired until the right offer comes across his table for a showdown against Nurmagomedov, which would draw him back to the Octagon for at least one more fight.
“It depends,” St-Pierre teased when asked about a possible comeback. “If everything is aligned contractually, everything is good, as we speak now, yes I would.”
Right now, the UFC seems committed to booking Nurmagomedov against former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson, who is riding a 12-fight win streak with nine finishes by knockout or submission along the way.
If that fight is made official, and Nurmagomedoov is victorious, it appears an eventual fight against St-Pierre is still possible for the future.