"He made a promise to his mother and I think it's a very honorable thing" - Georges St-Pierre shuts door on Khabib Nurmagomedov fight
Georges St-Pierre has shut the door on a potential fight vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov. 'GSP' also praised Nurmagomedov for honoring the promise he made to his mother.
In an interview with SPORF, UFC icon and retired MMA fighter Georges St-Pierre stated:
“Yeah, Khabib is done. I know that because last time [UFC president] Dana White called me to ask me if I wanted to fight Khabib, I said – I didn’t want to, now; it’s past. But just by curiosity, I said, ‘Let me think about it.’ So, he went on Khabib’s side – because when he approached me, he made it sound like Khabib already accepted. But I knew it wasn’t true, so I wanted to see how things would go. So, I tell him, ‘Let me think about it. I’ll get back to you.’ So, he went on Khabib’s side, and Khabib said no. He made a promise to his mother, and I think it’s a very honorable thing because now we live in a world that everybody is influenced by money. And Khabib gave his word, and stick to his word. So, I think it’s a good thing."
"And I think I no longer have the intention of competing anymore in mixed martial arts to prove that I’m the champion or the best fighter right now. So, I think that it’s a story that ends well, you know, my career and Khabib’s career, I think it’s a good ending for both of us.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov competed at lightweight and welterweight outside the UFC, but only fought at lightweight in the octagon. 'GSP' explained that he spent most of his career fighting at welterweight, whereas Nurmagomedov did so at 155 pounds.
The former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion feels he and Nurmagomedov could've met at a catchweight. Nevertheless, the timing didn’t work out, which is why their fight didn’t materialize.
Watch 'GSP' address the Khabib Nurmagomedov dream matchup in the video below:
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s close friend Islam Makhachev is on the cusp of a UFC lightweight title shot
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father, legendary MMA coach Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, passed away in July 2020. Khabib’s mother didn’t want him to continue fighting without his father by his side. As a result, "The Eagle" competed just once after his father’s passing and then retired.
The UFC lightweight title became vacant after longtime champion Nurmagomedov stepped away from the sport. Charles Oliveira claimed those top 155 pound honors earlier this year by defeating Michael Chandler. 'Do Bronx' is scheduled to defend his gold against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269 on December 11th. Following his own decisive win over Michael Chandler, Justin Gaethje should get the winner of Oliveira vs. Poirier in 2022.
However, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s friend and longtime training partner Islam Makhachev is also a significant player in the lightweight title picture. Makhachev faces Beneil Dariush at a UFC Fight Night event on February 26th, 2022. The consensus is that Makhachev – who’s on a nine-fight win streak – could receive a title shot if he gets past Dariush.