GSP’s Return to the UFC is Still a Real Possibility

George St. Pierre is one of the best fighters to ever compete in MMA. He retired from the sport in 2017 but has continued to train and appears to be in fantastic shape. Many fans still believe that GSP’s return to the UFC is possible to take place in the future.

There is one fight, in particular, that fans are interested in. That is of course the blockbuster fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov. Today, we’ll discuss some of the ways that St. Pierre could make a triumphant return to the cage.

Let’s get into it!

Khabib Nurmagomedov Shows No Interest in Fighting Again

The UFC’s lightweight division is now without a doubt the best in MMA. Some of the greatest fighters of all time compete at 155 pounds including Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor, and Justin Gaethje. Of course, the best lightweight to ever compete is still Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Between 2012 and 2020, Khabib went undefeated in this division. He won the lightweight title in 2018 and recorded three title defenses against elite competition. After his win over Justin Gaethje in 2018, Khabib announced his retirement from MMA.

Many fans doubted whether or not this retirement was real. Khabib is just 32 years old and seems to be in his fighting prime. UFC President Dana White told the media he would work hard to convince Khabib to return for at least one more fight.

Some felt that the results of UFC 257 would impact Khabib’s fighting future. If Conor McGregor won, that could set up a massive rematch against Khabib later this year. Of course, Dustin Poirier ended up pulling off the upset by knocking out Conor in the second round.

After the bout, news broke that Khabib was showing very little interest in making a return to MMA. It seems unlikely that he will decide to come back to fight Dustin Poirier, a man he already holds a victory over. Fans are obviously disappointed at this fact.

There is still one man that might be able to draw Khabib out of retirement. That is George St. Pierre, one of the greatest mixed martial artists to ever compete.

GSP’s Return to the UFC Depends on Just One Factor

There was a time when George St. Pierre seemed unbeatable. He ruled over the welterweight division for years using elite wrestling and powerful kickboxing. After a close decision win over Johny Hendricks in 2013, GSP announced he was taking a break from fighting.

This lasted a few years and in 2017, St. Pierre returned to the UFC to challenge Michael Bisping for the middleweight championship of the world. It was a huge fight and one that fans seemed torn on who would win. In the end, GSP won via submission in the third round. He announced his official retirement from MMA shortly after.

George has stayed in the gym over the years, leading many to speculate that he will make a return to the cage. This week, we heard more about what could lead to GSP’s return to the UFC. It’s much more simple than some might have expected.

George spoke to the media and claimed the UFC simply needs to make him an offer that is worth the risk of competing again.

“I was in the same boat as everybody, I thought maybe he [Khabib Nurmagomedov] would have called me out to maybe pressure the UFC to organize the fight,” St. Pierre said. “It doesn’t mean I would have accepted, Everybody says, ‘Oh, when is it going to happen?’ I never said I wanted to do it. It depends (on) the conditions too. I could think about it seriously if the conditions are right in terms of the weight class and all that, but there’s no way I’m gonna go down to 155 now. I’m 39 years old and this is out of the window… It would be the most stupid thing I could do. If they have an offer to make to me, an offer I cannot refuse, Dana knows where to reach me.”

GSP’s return to the UFC now all depends on money. He’s a prizefighter, after all. It will be interesting to see if the promotion is willing to give George the amount of money that he needs to make a comeback. We’ll be sure to offer more updates on this over the next few weeks.

Will We See Khabib vs. GSP in 2021?

Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated every single man that stood across from him in the cage. Many feel is the most dominant fighter to ever compete in MMA. The main question now seems to be how he would fare against George St. Pierre, another one of MMA’s GOAT’s.

This is a fight that Khabib has been calling for. It won’t be easy to book with both men now retired, though. Only the UFC can offer enough money for both of these men to step into the Octagon against one another.

It would likely be one of the biggest fights in UFC history. Many are curious to see how Khabib could stack up against a man that also has elite wrestling and perhaps even a more dangerous striking arsenal.

GSP’s return to the UFC seems possible if enough money is offered. Khabib, however, claims that he made a promise to his mother that he will never fight again. It would take a lot for him to break that promise and make a return to the Octagon.

Anything is possible in mixed martial arts. The UFC has a unique ability to book big fights if they want it to happen. Even if GSP and Khabib never come back, fans can look back and enjoy the many incredible bouts that they had over the years.

Do you want to see GSP’s return to the UFC? How do you think he would do against Khabib? Let us know in the comments section below!