Georges St-Pierre has hinted at retirement in the past, but his swan song may be closer than some think.
In a 2010 interview with MMAJunkie, the UFC welterweight champ admitted his ultimate goal was to be considered the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
Some have already bestowed this honor on him for good reason.
He is a Hall of Fame lock who has avenged every loss on his professional record. UFC president Dana White already confirmed he is the biggest pay-per-view draw in the company, and he will undoubtedly go down as the greatest welterweight in UFC history.
Unfortunately, all of these accolades aren’t enough to surpass UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva, who is often called the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet.
For years, fans have been teased with the possibility of St-Pierre moving up to the 185-pound division and challenging Silva to determine once and for all the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Little do they know, a fight with Silva could ultimately mean the end of St-Pierre’s storied career.
“If one day I fight at 185 pounds for a superfight to know who is the best pound-for-pound in the world, [and] if I reach my goal, then my goal will be reached. There will be no point for me to still compete because I’m not going to have a goal left,” St-Pierre told MMAJunkie.
Yeah, the money is there. It’s pleasant. The money is there. It’s good that I have this security. I have a lot of money now. It’s good. But there is a lot of things I can do outside of mixed martial arts … because of the name that I reached with MMA, that the UFC helped me to have.
The fame is the same thing. I didn’t have it in the beginning, and now I have it. But if one day I reach my goal of becoming the best pound-for-pound [fighter] of all-time, it will be time for me to retire.
This time could come sooner than expected if Chris Weidman has his way at UFC 162.
As great as Silva is, it’s almost considered sacrilegious to even consider the possibility of him losing. With that said, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the dangers Weidman poses to his game, and the end result could be a shocker that shifts the balance of power.
If Silva loses, it isn’t far-fetched to think St-Pierre could be two or three fights away from calling it a career. With three more title defenses, he would surpass Silva in the history books with the most consecutive and successful UFC title defenses, and there would no longer be a need to move to the 185-pound division.
It would be a perfect time to bow out of the sport. St-Pierre could retire rich and on top of the world without taking any significant damage over the course of his MMA career.
Of course, many things can happen that could throw his retirement plans out of whack. He could lose the welterweight title or Silva could continue his dominant ways.
In either case, the clock is ticking for St-Pierre, and the MMA world may be surprised at how soon it stops.
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