Georges St-Pierre described the time he was in talks to face Floyd Mayweather in a mixed rules MMA/Boxing match recently.
Former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre recently revealed details about the time he was in negotiations to face boxing legend Floyd Mayweather in a unique cross-sport match with hybrid rules.
According to St-Pierre, Mayweather’s team proposed holding the bout in an octagon cage with a mix of boxing and MMA rules as a compromise between the two disciplines. Mayweather, acting as a promoter, flew St-Pierre out to Austin, Texas on a private plane to discuss the potential event over dinner.
“He said it’s a boxing fight, but in the octagon ring,” St-Pierre explained to covers. “I’m like okay, but what’s the compromise?”
The proposed rules allowed spinning backfists, which are legal in MMA but not boxing. However, Mayweather’s team was not willing to permit any major MMA techniques like kicks or takedowns.
“I said allow me to throw kicks, he’s never going to accept that,” St-Pierre said. “Allow me to throw him down, he’s never going to want to go to the floor. I’m not saying go to the ground, I’m thinking take him down and then we stand back up.”
Ultimately, St-Pierre felt the rules heavily favored Mayweather and decided against accepting the fight, calling it “a trap” and saying “I’m not that stupid.”
While the match-up between the MMA legend and undefeated boxing great would have been an intriguing spectacle, the differing rule sets made it difficult to create a true compromise that was acceptable to both camps. The fight negotiations eventually fizzled out without an agreement.