"It's not easy to come back" - Francis Ngannou shares UFC 217 backstage conversation with Georges St-Pierre
Francis Ngannou recently spoke about a conversation he had with UFC legend Georges St-Pierre at UFC 217 in 2017.
That night in New York City, Georges St-Pierre defeated Michael Bisping to become a two-division UFC champion after claiming the UFC middleweight strap. His victory over Bisping came after a four-year absence from the sport, with many calling it one of the best comebacks in MMA history.
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On This Day in 2017, @GeorgesStPierre returned after four years out and beat Michael Bisping at #UFC217 to become middleweight champion.
His final UFC fight to date.. 🤔 https://t.co/utPdskzNNO
At the time, Francis Ngannou was just a few weeks away from fighting Alistair Overeem - a fight he would win emphatically via knockout. In a recent interview, Ngannou spoke about an interaction he had with St-Pierre backstage at UFC 217. 'The Predator' said:
“I think Georges St-Pierre is just a legend. I wasn’t around when he was here, but I had the opportunity to meet him a couple times - great guy. You couldn’t imagine he’s so humble, you couldn’t imagine this is the Georges St-Pierre you watch on TV, a superstar and everything. He’s a very calm guy, French speaking so he’s very proud of that French connection, that’s why we connected. Great fighter.”
He added:
“I watched his last fight in Madison Square Garden against Michael Bisping, that was his comeback after four years. His performance that night was just incredible. He told me backstage that ‘man, it’s not easy to come back, if you ever retire, don’t come back after four years!’. Really cool.”
Watch Francis Ngannou reminisce about his short conversation with Georges St-Pierre in the video below:
Will Francis Ngannou retire after his next fight?
Francis Ngannou will look to defend his UFC heavyweight title later this month against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. After that, regardless of whether he wins or loses, there are question marks surrounding whether he'll remain in the UFC - and mixed martial arts in general.
He's been teasing the idea of transitioning to pro boxing for a while now and recently went back and forth with Tyson Fury on social media.
How about MMA rules with boxing gloves? I can do you that favor. twitter.com/Tyson_Fury/sta…
Ngannou has the power to knock out any human being on the face of the planet. If he does make the switch to boxing, he'll likely make a lot more money than he's making in the UFC.
Shots fired 👀
@Tyson_Fury sends a stern warning to @Francis_Ngannou 😤 https://t.co/QwfmFQEsai