For Rory MacDonald, fighting longtime friend and training partner Georges St-Pierre would be the same as stabbing him in the back.
On paper, a potential UFC title fight between St-Pierre and MacDonald screams dollar signs. How could fans not obsess over seeing one of MMA’s all-time greats compete against his longtime pupil in a battle of generations?
The proposal of the student vs. teacher matchup is a no-brainer for outsiders. MMA isn’t a team sport, and fighters are paid to fight. Why should any fight be turned down, especially when UFC gold is on the line?
It’s a complicated question for MacDonald, who was graciously taken in by St-Pierre as an up-and-comer.
“[Georges] welcomed it,” MacDonald told UFC commentator Joe Rogan on Tuesday, per MMAFighting.com. “I never forgot it, either. A lot of people now are asking me to fight him, this and that. They don’t see the things that I got to see, that I appreciate. Not only as a martial artist, but for myself. I learned so much from him and I gained a lot from his kindness and what he gave to me. I’m not going to forget that and stab him in the back.”
St-Pierre, who has taken an indefinite hiatus from fighting, is still rehabbing a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee. He forfeited the welterweight title back in December 2013 after defeating Johny Hendricks by split decision.
There have been talks about St-Pierre potentially returning in the future, but nothing is set in stone. The possibility is still very real that the former welterweight champ never competes in MMA again.
But if he chooses to return, UFC President Dana White has already assured Matt Parrino of UFC.com that the French-Canadian star would likely be rewarded with an immediate title shot.
What if MacDonald is the champion?
The top welterweight contender is already expected to face the winner of the December 6 championship bout between Hendricks and Robbie Lawler.
An interesting situation could soon be developing at Tristar Gym if MacDonald brings the belt back to Canada.
Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA writer for Rocktagon.
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