Anthony Pettis isn’t the only UFC lightweight on the roster who wants to be a two-division fighter, as Benson Henderson has called out welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, “Bendo” cited that while he has a title defense ahead of him at UFC on Fox 7, there’re bigger fish to fry:
I want to fight in the biggest fights and against the best fighters. Georges St-Pierre is one of the greatest fighters in our sport’s history. Of course I’d love to fight him, and I think the fans would want to see that fight too. It would be an honor to go up against such a great competitor, especially with a title on the line.
Unfortunately for Henderson, GSP isn’t interested in that fight.
During a phone interview with MMA Fighting on Wednesday, the welterweight champion called Henderson out for wanting a piece of the UFC’s pay-per-view money, stating that Bendo needed to get behind a lot of other contenders instead of ‘cutting the line’:
‘There are a lot of people who want to make money on pay-per-view,’ St-Pierre said in a one-on-one phone interview. ‘But only a few fighters who can do it. So the quickest way to try to get one of those fights is to try to call out one of those fighters who can make money. It’s a way to try to cut the line.’
Unlike a couple of years ago, there are actually plenty of fresh challenges for GSP, with his most immediate one being his upcoming UFC 158 opponent, Nick Diaz.
Moreover, power-puncher Johny Hendricks is still technically the No. 1 contender in the welterweight division, with former interim champion Carlos Condit poised to claim that distinction if he beats Hendricks on March 16 in Montreal.
At a glance, Diaz, Hendricks and/or Condit could keep GSP busy for at least another year.
Hence, St-Pierre summed up the situation by stating that even someone as dominant as the current lightweight champion isn’t on his radar:
I’ve got a fight against Nick Diaz coming up next week and that’s what I’m thinking about right now. After that there are other welterweight contenders on the way. Ben Henderson isn’t a fight I’m thinking about right now.
Aside from St-Pierre vs. Diaz and Hendricks vs. Condit, UFC 158 will also be supported by a third welterweight battle between Jake Ellenberger and former Strikeforce champion Nate Marquardt.
Of course, things could always change with Diaz, as the unpredictable Stocktonian has already gotten himself cut from one title fight against St-Pierre at UFC 137. As UFC president Dana White recently told MMA Junkie, unfulfilled media obligations and escalating production costs have left Diaz “close” to losing his second shot at St-Pierre.
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