GSP admits idea of huge fight with Khabib 'freaking excites him'
Georges St-Pierre admits idea of huge fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov ‘freaking excites him’ but UFC legend accepts there must be ‘compromises on both sides’ to make it happen
- Khabib Nurmagomedov retired following his win over Justin Gaethje last year
- Dana White is bidding to get him to come back and take a fight to go 30-0
- Georges St-Pierre has long been spoken of as the dream match-up for him
- GSP is also retired but admits he is excited at the idea of facing Khabib
Georges St-Pierre has admitted that the prospect of a fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov ‘freaking excites him’.
The former welterweight and middleweight champion is, like Khabib, retired from competing but would consider reversing that decision for a scrap with the pound-for-pound king.
GSP is the significantly heavier man and seven years Khabib’s senior so time is running out if they are to ever meet in the octagon.
Georges St-Pierre says he is excited by the idea of a fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov
Khabib retired after beating Justin Gaethje last October but could be persuaded to return
The Russian retired at 29-0 after beating Justin Gaethje and despite promising his mother he would no longer compete following his father’s death, Dana White believes he can persuade Khabib out of retirement.
His father, Abdulmanap, had always dreamed of his son reaching 30-0 and a match-up with arguably the greatest of all time would be an incredible way to do it.
The principle of the fight also appeals to GSP. He told Tim&Sid: ‘It freaking excites me, man. Khabib is bigger than me. He’s a better weight cutter than me, probably, and I’m older than he is, and that plays too.
‘We need to know the terrain. It’s one of the principles of the art of war. I need to know if I fight in a place that he knows the terrain and I don’t, it’s an advantage for him.
‘Right now it’s an advantage for him. I don’t have the structure to train, and he does. So there needs to compromise on both sides to make the fight happen.’
Perhaps the fight could even take place as a one-off catchweight bout if an agreement is reached.
UFC president Dana White has previously admitted he would work to make the fight if it was the only one Khabib was willing to return for.
He is planning to sit down with the pound-for-pound No 1, who has still not been stripped of his lightweight title, to discuss a comeback among other issues before UFC 257.
Khabib’s old rival Conor McGregor is fighting in the main event against Dustin Poirier and the Russian will be cornering his cousin on the same night so it will be fascinating if the pair interact at all next Saturday.
Share this article
Source: Read Full Article