"He's not coming back because he misses it" - John McCarthy and Josh Thomson reveal the real reasons for UFC legend Georges St-Pierre's potential comeback to combat sports
Georges St-Pierre is no longer contractually obligated to the UFC anymore and is free to explore other opportunities. The former two-division champion was one of the most dominant fighters in UFC history.
On a recent episode of their podcast, Weighing In, Josh Thomson and ’Big' John McCarthy gave their thoughts on what St-Pierre’s free agency could mean. McCarthy mentioned that fame was never the motivating factor for the Canadian:
“He’s not coming back because he misses it, he doesn’t miss it. I don’t really think he cares about the fame part that much. Georges has never been that interested in how famous… he’s got enough fame where he’s going to be fine for the rest of his life with whatever he gets. So then it comes down to one thing and that’s money.”
McCarthy also alluded to what he believes it would take to lure the UFC Hall of Famer back to active competition:
“Anybody can look and say, ‘in the end, yeah, for that amount of money I’ll do it.’ And that’s really what I think it’s going to come down to. Right now Georges is not in any type of financial problems. He’s got a lot of money. He could live the rest of his life very comfortably and not have to work another day, or train another day, or fight another day in his life. But if they offer him enough money, I think there’s always the possibility.”
Georges St-Pierre hates fighting
.@GeorgesStPierre absolutely understands Nick Diaz when he says hates fighting ahead of #UFC266:
"I used [fighting] as a benchmark to get me where I wanted to get to in life. I don't like fighting. It was the worst day of my life."
Watch full interview: youtu.be/xXg5rD28J1k https://t.co/H34shtiIlj
It’s important to note that Georges St-Pierre has stated numerous times that he hates fighting. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be easy to sell him on the idea of competing in any capacity again.
The UFC Hall of Famer always takes his legacy into account when evaluating the risks and rewards of a bout. Georges St-Pierre vs. Anderson Silva or Nate Diaz in a boxing match can be enticing.
'Rush' vs. 'The Spider' was one of the biggest missed opportunities in UFC history. A match against Diaz, on the other hand, would also generate plenty of interest as the Canadian defeated his brother, Nick Diaz, in the UFC.
St-Pierre competing in boxing would be intriguing because although he trained extensively with famed boxing trainer Freddy Roach, he wasn’t known as a knockout artist when he competed in MMA.
Another possibility could be a grappling match with UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, as the two were linked in a potential superfight prior to ‘The Eagle’s retirement from MMA.