Georges St-Pierre is ready for a submission match next December, but will he be another legend on the other side of the mat?
“GSP” announced a comeback of sorts during this year’s UFC International Fight Week as he competes in the Fight Pass Invitational event on December 14, which will be his first appearance in the competition since his last fight in the UFC in November 2017. The Canadian star won the titles in two divisions during His illustrious career, most famously defending the UFC Welterweight Championship from 2008-2013.
Who St-Pierre wrestles against remains a mystery, but a few notable names were suggested to him during a red carpet appearance at the 2023 UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Las Vegas on Thursday night: Khabib Nurmagomedov, Kamaru Usman, and Anderson Silva.
“They are all very attractive, but everyone has a different agenda,” St-Pierre said in response to the options. “Some are training for their upcoming title fights. Some may be too heavy, some too light, some of them just retired and want nothing to do with the competition.
“I received a roster from the UFC today and we’re going to check who’s available and we’re looking at what’s available and we’re going to make a decision with the UFC and with my people to make sure we’re up against someone they think people want to see me compete.”
St-Pierre was then asked if these names were on the list he was given, and while he answered in the affirmative at first, he clarified that “Habib was not on the list”.
Any of these names would drive fans into a frenzy, particularly Nurmagomedov and Silva, with whom St-Pierre shares a history. After his retirement in 2019, St-Pierre repeatedly stated in interviews that he would consider fighting again to challenge the undefeated Nurmagomedov, but the match never came to fruition. Nurmagomedov retired from MMA in October 2020 immediately after a third consecutive successful defense of the UFC Lightweight Championship.
Talks of a match between St-Pierre and Silva go back as far back as when the two were just starting out and were feuding on their respective teams (Silva reigned as UFC Middleweight Champion from 2006-2013). Again, little came of the conversation in terms of the actual negotiations, though it remained a dream battle in the minds of many.
For now, St-Pierre is excited to be competing again, especially in a much less dangerous environment than MMA.
“I know for a fact that [submission grappling] “It’s an accessible sport,” said St-Pierre. “It’s more accessible to a larger group of people than mixed martial arts because of the risk of injury [in MMA]. I love martial arts and I’m now in a position, I’m 42, and I’m not the same guy I was when I was competing.
“When I was competing in mixed martial arts, I wanted to be the strongest man in the world. That was my priority. Now it’s not my priority anymore. But I still love training for a competition and I think it’s a perfect fit for me.”