(Yup. We’re bringing this wishful thinking image out again. Read on, and you’ll see why)
Remember a few weeks ago when Georges St. Pierre’s former manager, Stephane Patry published the UFC welterweight champ’s supposed “secret plan” to retire after a fight with middleweight G.O.A.T. Anderson Silva and then St. Pierre and his head coach Firas Zahabi did a horrible job of lying and totally denied that GSP had made such a plan while focusing so intensely on his coming fight with Nick Diaz? Yeah, well, the ruse is pretty much over now.
Zahabi was on Sherdog Radio recently and spilled the beans on the record regarding tentative possibilities (I know, be still your hearts!) for St. Pierre’s career. After the champ returns from vacation, Zahabi says that the fighter, coach and management will listen to what the UFC wants and discuss their options.
According to the coach, Anderson Silva and number one welterweight contender Johny Hendricks are both possible. “I think Georges would do either fight, to be honest with you,” Zahabi told Sherdog.
“If he fights Hendricks, I think he could fight for longer. He could have more fights after that. If he fights Anderson Silva, I could really see that being his last fight. He’ll retire after that because there won’t be a bigger fight for him to do, I think, anymore in his career.
“Win or lose, I think he’ll probably end on that note, on Anderson Silva. Maybe that’s why it’s been pushed back a little bit, but I think when it does happen, it’ll be the last one because once he goes up a weight class, he’s never coming back down.”
Yeah, so Patry is looking like a pretty credible source right about now. What do you say, nation? Do you want to see St. Pierre fight Silva next in a super fight we’ve been wanting for the last 3-5 years? Or, are you the only person not named Johny Hendricks that would rather see St. Pierre fight Johny Hendricks next, instead?
There’s always the chance that Chris Weidman beats Silva in July, however, and just absolutely ruins every freaking thing. How about Weidman and Hendricks fight one another, next?
Doesn’t really matter where – an arena, the loading dock of an arena, their front lawns – just so long as they are occupied and stay out of the way of St. Pierre and Silva fighting. No one has been lobbying harder for Weidman’s shot but sorry, Chris. St. Pierre no longer ducking Silva changes everything.