After Kamaru Usman defeated former teammate Gilbert Burns at UFC 258 on Saturday, he was once again hit with the question of whether or not he would entertain fighting Georges St-Pierre if the welterweight great ever mounted a comeback.
“Of course, I would like to fight Georges,” Usman said at the UFC 258 post-fight news conference. “But I don’t want Georges because of money or anything like that.
“I’m a competitor. I want Georges because Georges left on top. Georges can still do it. I see him training. Georges, I’m watching you. I see you training. Georges can still do it.
“So if there’s potential for that big fight and Georges wants to come back, then of course Georges can cut the line; absolutely.”
One reason that St-Pierre was brought up is because he’s still only 39 years of age and a little over three years removed from a return that saw him win the UFC middleweight title. Another reason is that he’s recently posted some intense workout photos on social media, showing him Rocky-style, training outside in the cold Canadian winter.
Despite all that, and despite the fact that Usman would be a hefty challenge, St-Pierre doesn’t sound too excited about making a return to the Octagon.
“I will always train, but if you ask me if I want to come back? Just try to put yourself into my shoes and try to come back,” St-Pierre said during an interview with The Good Show on SN590.
“If I tried to come back for a fight with Kamaru Usman, I would have to literally leave the country. You cannot train right now in Canada with the COVID. I would have to bring my coaches somewhere, find a base camp, fly in some training partners, because it’s Kamaru Usman. You need to get ready, you need a real training camp.”
That’s not something that appeals to St-Pierre at this point in his life. He doesn’t need to fight for money. It would simply be for the challenge of the situation, adding to his legacy.
“Just that, leave my home, leave my family, leave my place, I’m very reluctant to do it and I don’t need to do it. I’m healthy. I’m wealthy. It’s not appealing to lose three months of my life, stress and everything for trying to get a win over Kamaru Usman. As time passes by, it’s getting less and less and less appealing. I don’t think there’s anybody now that will make me come back. I’m good.”
Even a fight with current UFC lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn’t sound as appealing as it once did to St-Pierre. Right now, he sounds as likely as ever to remain content in retirement.
St-Pierre has always wanted to go out on his own terms. It appears that he has done so, and he’s good with that.
“I don’t know if there is anything that will get me motivated to go back to competition.”
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