Former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre says Khabib Nurmagomedov, the reigning lightweight champion, is the perfect fighter.
St-Pierre, who is currently retired, has long expressed interest in a possible super fight with Nurmagomedov. Speaking on the MMA TRUFAN podcast, the Canadian MMA legend explained the allure of this potential matchup.
St-Pierre clarified that, while a fight with Nurmagomedov would no doubt be incredibly lucrative, the main appeal of the fight is the opportunity to defeat a seemingly unbeatable fighter.
“Khabib was very exciting for me because, for a fighter, a fighter doesn’t think like a normal person,” St-Pierre said.
“A fighter always wants to fight a guy who seems invincible, a guy who seems like the perfect fighter, who is unbeatable,” St-Pierre added. “He has an aura of invincibility. So, that means if I do it I’ll be the first to have ever done it. It’s not a question of money. Yeah, the money is there but it’s not a question of money first. It’s a question of glory, of self accomplishment, of making it in a way that you’ll be in history forever, for myself.”
Georges St-Pierre has not fought since 2017, when he returned from a lengthy hiatus to capture the UFC middleweight title with a submission defeat of Michael Bisping. His next most recent fight occurred all the way back in 2013, when he defended the UFC welterweight title with a controversial decision defeat of Johny Hendricks.
Khabib Nurmagomedov, on the other hand, has not fought since September, 2019, when he defended his title with a submission defeat of Dustin Poirier. The lightweight champion is expected to defend his title against interim champion Justin Gaethje next, but the timeline for the bout is unclear after his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, passed away.
Does a potential super fight between Georges St-Pierre and Khabib Nurmagomedov interest you?