Add Kamaru Usman to the UFC star list that Georges St-Pierre won’t be wrestling with anytime soon.
One of the most successful athletes in MMA history, “GSP” has been named after people like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tyron Woodley, among others, in the years after his first retirement in 2013 and then his second retirement after expiring. Michael Bisping for the UFC Middleweight Championship in 2017.
St-Pierre has a resume that compares to anyone who has trodden the octagon, but as impressed as he is with Usman, he has no plans to add the current UFC welterweight champion to his loss of opponents despite Usman’s recent challenge. .
“For me, it is very complementary because for a fighter the objective is to work, and not only for a fighter, but the objective is to do as little work as possible to earn as much money,” St-Pierre said in an interview with TMZ. “They know that a fight with me will give them a lot of money and also, if they win, they can have the legacy that comes with it.” But for my part it is a mixed feeling. Of course, sometimes I’m watching the fight and I say, ‘Man, I think I can beat these guys.’ Or after I finish training I feel very confident. But then when I go home at night and think about all those crazy thoughts I have, I’ll be 40 soon.
“Do I really want to go back to a tough training camp, two months, get myself in jail, so to speak, and prepare for hell? And I say, no, I don’t. I’ve been doing it for a long time and unfortunately in my sport there are too many guys who retired too late and I don’t want to be one of these guys. I am very lucky. I am healthy, most importantly, and I am also rich. I came at the right time, at the right time, I made a lot of money, and I think that when I measured and calculated the pros and cons, I’d better stay out of it. ”
During his reign atop the welterweight division, St-Pierre was one of the UFC’s most dominant and popular fighters, winning big both in the cage and at the box office. His last fight at UFC 217 against Bisping was far from easy, but he bounced back in the third to stun Bisping on the feet and finish with a bare rear choke in the third round. Soon after, St-Pierre left his newly earned title and returned to retirement.
He admitted that he still wants to compete, but common sense eventually prevails and he respected Usman, who recently tied his record for the longest winning streak (12) in UFC welterweight history.
“It will always be like this,” St-Pierre said of whether he wonders how it would fare against current fighters. “Maybe I’m completely crazy and if I come back they’ll kick my ass.”
“I think it is better for me if I stay retired and I have other great projects at the moment,” he continued. “I’m still a huge fan of the sport, I love seeing Kamaru, I love seeing all the best players in the sport.” … I saw the fight, it’s incredible. What a great fight. He is very, very smart. Everyone talks about his physical abilities and skills, but I think his best attribute is his brain. He is very, very smart. It is very good to become the perfect enemy for your opponent. He fought almost a perfect fight. He is an incredible fighter and he will go far, he will be one of the best if he continues like this. “
Regarding a return on the road, St-Pierre said “the UFC knows where to find me” and suggested that there is always a possibility if the opportunity makes sense. Currently, it’s fine if he stays retired.
“You can get the wrestler out of the competition, but you can’t get the wrestler out of the competition,” said St-Pierre. “I need to be objective and smart about my decisions and right now to return to fight for the welterweight title against Kamaru Usman and risk everything, there are more drawbacks than professionals.” So it’s not worth it to me. “
