Georges St-Pierre says UFC reopened negotiations for return after MMAAA launch

GSP says the UFC reached out to them the same night the MMAAA was launched.

Georges St-Pierre was recently part of the unveiling of the MMAAA, which he says plans to level the playing field and give fighters their fair share of the revenue.

The long time welterweight champion was planning a return to competition prior to the announcement, and when asked if the formation of the association puts an end to any comeback plans, St-Pierre says that’s not the case. In fact, the UFC has already reached out and will be restarting negotiations with them.

“No, it doesn’t mean I’m done with the UFC,” St-Pierre told TSN (transcribed by MMA Fighting). “Like other members, like Cain Velasquez, Tim Kennedy, Cowboy Cerrone, they’re all seasoned fighters. Doesn’t mean I’m done.

“Actually, the night that we launched the association we received a letter, Rodolphe [Beaulieu] received a letter – my agent – from the UFC lawyer saying that they want to renew the negotiation with me because at the point where I was before the negotiation, the communication was cut. So we didn’t have any kind of communication.

“I was hoping earlier to get on the card for Toronto but it’s not happening and now I guess they’ll keep talking and we’ll see if they can come to an agreement. Same story as before but now I have more options. I’m [a] free agent. I don’t have to be in the UFC. I could go somewhere else.”

GSP went on to note that the earlier offer the UFC made wasn’t up to par. He also hinted that now that he is also fighting for better rights for fellow fighters, he may not be amendable to accepting a deal that isn’t “equitable”.

“Unfortunately the conditions that they were offering me for the contract were unacceptable. Any smart person would not have accepted it. A person who would have accepted is a person who is scared and has no choice, but I’m healthy, I’m wealthy, I have the choice. I don’t have to take something that is not advantageous for me — I mean equitable. Because now I was taking all the risk and it was not equitable.

“Who or what kind of person would I be if I’m taking a fight under conditions that are not equitable, satisfied, and I’m fighting for the other person that is trying to make their condition of work better. So if I do something, it’s smart to do it for myself first and then I try to do it for the other person. That’s my mentality.”

GSP says the UFC reached out to them the same night the MMAAA was launched.

Georges St-Pierre was recently part of the unveiling of the MMAAA, which he says plans to level the playing field and give fighters their fair share of the revenue.

The long time welterweight champion was planning a return to competition prior to the announcement, and when asked if the formation of the association puts an end to any comeback plans, St-Pierre says that’s not the case. In fact, the UFC has already reached out and will be restarting negotiations with them.

“No, it doesn’t mean I’m done with the UFC,” St-Pierre told TSN (transcribed by MMA Fighting). “Like other members, like Cain Velasquez, Tim Kennedy, Cowboy Cerrone, they’re all seasoned fighters. Doesn’t mean I’m done.

“Actually, the night that we launched the association we received a letter, Rodolphe [Beaulieu] received a letter – my agent – from the UFC lawyer saying that they want to renew the negotiation with me because at the point where I was before the negotiation, the communication was cut. So we didn’t have any kind of communication.

“I was hoping earlier to get on the card for Toronto but it’s not happening and now I guess they’ll keep talking and we’ll see if they can come to an agreement. Same story as before but now I have more options. I’m [a] free agent. I don’t have to be in the UFC. I could go somewhere else.”

GSP went on to note that the earlier offer the UFC made wasn’t up to par. He also hinted that now that he is also fighting for better rights for fellow fighters, he may not be amendable to accepting a deal that isn’t “equitable”.

“Unfortunately the conditions that they were offering me for the contract were unacceptable. Any smart person would not have accepted it. A person who would have accepted is a person who is scared and has no choice, but I’m healthy, I’m wealthy, I have the choice. I don’t have to take something that is not advantageous for me — I mean equitable. Because now I was taking all the risk and it was not equitable.

“Who or what kind of person would I be if I’m taking a fight under conditions that are not equitable, satisfied, and I’m fighting for the other person that is trying to make their condition of work better. So if I do something, it’s smart to do it for myself first and then I try to do it for the other person. That’s my mentality.”