Once again, UFC president Dana White says there is no interest from any side of the equation for a Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Georges St-Pierre superfight.
God bless The Schmo, the smartest man in MMA media because he picked a nickname fighters love to say. He’s also one of the only guy who consistently asks questions the rest of the reporters at UFC events don’t, like “Did Georges St-Pierre’s name come up when discussing a comeback with Khabib Nurmagomedov?”
Everyone who has been following the sport for the past several years knows Dana White and GSP don’t get along. Anyone paying attention over the last two years knows the only obstacle to a Khabib vs. GSP superfight is White refusing to put it together. At this point, it’s barely even brought up because White’s refusal to even consider it renders it a moot point to discuss. But The Schmo asked and here’s what Dana White said.
“Nope. GSP never came up,” White said. “[Khabib] isn’t interested in that fight. From what I heard today, after that, neither is GSP. So, that’s over.”
The Schmo reports: @TeamKhabib vs @GeorgesStPierre IS OFF THE TABLE. A Schmo can dream #UFCFightIsland pic.twitter.com/4piB9dR9Rc
— The Schmo (@TheSchmo312) January 17, 2021
Pretty difinitive words from someone who just dressed up a pretty vague ‘Maybe’ from Khabib into a solid ad for the UFC’s upcoming UFC 257 pay-per-view. If GSP never came up, how does White know that Khabib isn’t interested? Khabib’s agent said he’s interested. Khabib himself has repeatedly said he was interested, going so far as to have a GSP clause added to his UFC contact. So I dunno, maybe we’re crazy, but we don’t quite buy the idea that Khabib isn’t interested in a fight with St-Pierre.
As for GSP not being interested? White is probably referring to an interview with Sportsnet’s Tim & Sid where St-Pierre is asked about potentially fighting Khabib.
“The thing is, in business when you make an offer to someone, the offer has to be taken in the moment,” St-Pierre said. “If I make you an offer to buy a car, hey I’ll give you 5k or 10k to buy a car, if you refuse the offer you can not wait one year or two years then say ‘Hey the car finally that you want to buy, I want to sell it for 5k to you.’”
“Times have passed, and for me I couldn’t wait for the opportunity to come, so at one point I lost hope so I had to move on with my life. So … I’m not sure about it. I would have to think about it.”
That whole car analogy is GSP is referring to his retirement back in February of 2019, which came after St-Pierre says the UFC refused to even respond to his management about a possible fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov.
“When I’m training, I feel very confident and I’m like yeah, bring it on! But when I’m at home like this, relaxed, I’m thinking about it more cautios, thinking the pros and cons of everything. So I’d have to analyse it. Because my situation has changed from two years ago.”
“It freaking excites me, man,” he finished. “But I don’t wan’t to let my hopes…”