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Georges St-Pierre Unsure about Khabib Nurmagomedov Fight- ‘Organization Wouldn’t Want That’

Published 08/27/2020, 9:57 PM EDT

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Georges St-Pierre remains a dream fight for Khabib Nurmagomedov. The UFC lightweight champion has long called for the match and claimed that it was his father’s wish. However, the Canadian fighter has squashed these ambitions and claimed that he doesn’t think the fight will take place.

The statements may disappoint fans who wanted to see ‘Rush’ back in the cage once more. The veteran fighter opines that of the three parties that it takes to book a fight, only one wants it. 

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He said, “It takes three parties to make a fight. It takes one opponent, another opponent, and it takes the organization, as well. I don’t know if the organization would want that.”

Read: Georges St-Pierre Picks ‘The Best Fighter on the Face of the Earth’

Here, the one who wants it is ‘The Eagle’. St-Pierre remains doubtful regarding the same, as he feels the UFC may not be on board with the idea. This is because the fighter did not return to defend his middleweight title and opted to retire in early 2019 following medical issues.

Georges St-Pierre feels the UFC may not want him to run away with a third title

In July 2019, Dana White commented on St-Pierre’s retirement with a sense of finality. He said, “Georges St-Pierre, and I had a deal. He was going to fight Bisping at 185 pounds, and if he won, he would defend the title. He bailed on that, didn’t do it. So you can’t just come out and handpick fights that you want for titles.”

The words must still be fresh in the UFC Hall of Famer fighter’s mind as he said, “I run away with the welterweight, I run away with the middleweight and they assuredly don’t want me to run with the lightweight.”

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St-Pierre went on a lengthy injury hiatus after reigning at welterweight for seven years. Hence, it isn’t true that he ran away, but health issues prevented him from honoring his commitments. 

Given the fact that St-Pierre went up a weight division from his welterweight stomping grounds, the likelihood of seeing him drop to lightweight is slim. He said, “I’m 39 years old and I don’t think I can go 155 without my performance being compromised.”

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However, what gives fans hope is the fact that it isn’t St-Pierre, but Nurmagomedov who is calling for this fight. Likewise, the UFC President has softened his stance on the same and he would “Do anything Khabib wanted to.”

Read: Dana White Agrees for a Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Georges St-Pierre Mega Fight

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Despite this, ‘GSP’ remains unsure as he doesn’t want to fight unless he can perform at an optimal level. With all parties involved not consenting to the fight, it seems unlikely to materialize. Hence, Nurmagomedov may have to be content with fighting a lightweight contender in his proposed final fight with the UFC.

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Written by:

Reubyn Coutinho

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Reubyn Coutinho is a Combat Sports editor at EssentiallySports with over 2 years of journalistic experience. Having earned his bachelor's degree in Mass Media with a specialization in Journalism from Xavier's College, Reubyn has interned with the sports desks at DNA and Times Now before joining EssentiallySports to further his passion for sports content. Reubyn has interviewed former UFC champions like 'Mighty Mouse' Demetrious Johnson and Miesha Tate.
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