Georges St-Pierre understands why UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman wants to fight him, but he currently has no interest in ending retirement.
St-Pierre (26-2 MMA, 20-2 UFC), the former two-time UFC welterweight champion and former middleweight titlist, is considered one of the greatest fighters of all time. It is also one of the largest pay-per-view giveaways in the company’s history.
Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC), on the other hand, is on his way to becoming one of the best £ 170 in history. He beat former UFC champion Tyron Woodley, Colby Covington, Demian Maia, Rafael dos Anjos, and most recently Jorge Masvidal at UFC 251. He also has a win over contender Leon Edwards, meaning he has already almost cleared the division.
But St-Pierre, who already came out of retirement once in 2017 when he defeated Michael Bisping for the 185-pound belt, sees no need to return again as he nears his 40th birthday.
Although St-Pierre sees Usman’s call as “very complementary,” he just doesn’t think it’s worth fighting for on a daily basis at this point in his life.
“Sometimes I watch the fights and I think, ‘Man, I think I can beat these guys.’ Or after I finish training I feel very confident,” St-Pierre told TMZ. “But then when I go home at night, and I’m thinking about all those crazy thoughts, and I think, ‘I’m going to be 40 soon. Do I really want to go back and do a two-month hard boot camp, get myself in jail , so to speak, and prepare for hell? I’m like, ‘No, I don’t.’
“I’ve been doing it for a long time, and unfortunately in my sport there are too many guys who retire too late, and I don’t want to be one of these guys.”
St-Pierre may not have any interest in fighting Usman, but that didn’t stop him from praising the champion’s abilities and his recent victory over Masvidal.
“I saw the fight. It’s amazing, “said St-Pierre. “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. He is very good at becoming the perfect enemy for his opponent, and he fought almost a perfect fight. He is an incredible fighter and will go far. It will be one of the best if it continues like this. “
Throughout his career, St-Pierre was one of the smartest fighters, preventing him from taking too much damage. He has held the title for years and emerged as one of the biggest stars in the UFC, resulting in his financial stability.
That, he admitted, contributes to a lack of interest in his return.
“I am very lucky, the most important thing is my health and I am also rich,” said St-Pierre. “I left at the right time. I made a lot of money and I think the problems are when I matured and calculated the pros and cons, it is better that I stay retired. ”
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