Georges St-Pierre Will Only End UFC Retirement for Fight Against Khabib
October 7, 2020
Georges St-Pierre officially retired from mixed martial arts in February 2019, but the UFC Hall of Famer isn't closing the door on a comeback if he gets offered the right fight.
Speaking to ESPN's Marc Raimondi, St-Pierre said the only challenger he would end his retirement for is UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov:
"If I ever come back, I'm not coming back for many fights. If I come back, it would be for one fight. And I need to take, for me, the biggest fish. And the one—for me, I believe—the top guy right now, the name is Khabib. As a fighter, the most exciting thing is to take the guy who seems invincible, unbeatable. He has the aura of invincibility. But it's also the scariest thing to do."
Nurmagomedov is currently scheduled to defend his title against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 on Oct. 24. The Eagle is a perfect 28-0 in his MMA career, including 12 straight wins in UFC.
UFC president Dana White recently told Sports Illustrated's Justin Barrasso he's working to get Tony Ferguson a fight that could lead to a long-awaited match with Nurmagomedov if both stars win.
Of course, if there's a possibility to get St-Pierre back for a marquee bout with Nurmagomedov, White would almost certainly be willing to alter plans.
St-Pierre hasn't fought since a victory over Michael Bisping at UFC 217 in November 2017. He submitted Bisping with a rear-naked choke in the fourth round to win the middleweight title in his first-ever bout at 185 pounds.
"Everybody knows, it's not a surprise, I announce my retirement," St-Pierre told reporters at his retirement press conference last year. "There are no tears. I'm very happy to do it."
St-Pierre ended a four-year sabbatical to fight Bisping. He vacated the middleweight championship one month after winning it after being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.
In addition to holding the middleweight title, St-Pierre was a two-time UFC welterweight champion. The Montreal native held the undisputed 170-pound title from April 2008 through November 2013, going 10-0 during that span.