Widely regarded as one of greatest of all time, Georges St-Pierre, considered unretiring just two years ago.
St-Pierre last competed in 2017 against Michael Bisping and won the middleweight title in a classic bout.
Georges St-Pierre recently expressed that he anticipated a callout from former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov following his victory over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.
During an appearance on the Full Send Podcast on May 5, GSP discussed the rumored callout that had nearly enticed him to make a comeback in the UFC.
He revealed that many individuals including those within Nurmagomedov’s inner circle, had hinted at the possibility of Khabib calling him out after his bout with Gaethje. The revelation caught GSP by surprise, and he confessed to having a mix of excitement and apprehension about the potential showdown.
GSP stated: “Khabib at one point — I thought it was the only fight I would have come back for …. when [Nurmagomedov] fought Justin Gaethje, everybody told me — even in his entourage — they [said] ‘Be ready because he’s going to call you out.'”
Unfortunately, the callout never materialized. Nurmagomedov surprised the MMA world by taking the microphone after his victory and announcing his retirement. Nobody saw this coming, and everyone in the community was disappointed about the lost opportunity.
GSP added: “I had butterflies, I was like s***! When I thought I was done, they pulled me right back in. And then [Nurmagomedov] took his mic and he retired. Nobody saw that coming…”
During the interview, GSP also discussed his failed boxing match with Oscar De La Hoya and shed light on a conversation he had with UFC President Dana White. White approached GSP with an offer to competing Nurmagomedov, considering both were officially retired.
GSP said: “I didn’t want to do it, but I told Dana just to see what happened. I was curious; it’s always a chess game when the promoter calls you.”
He added that the UFC approached him first without consulting Nurmagomedov, in an attempt to orchestrate the bout.
He said: “So I didn’t say no, I said ‘let me think about it’. And the way Dana talked to me it was like Khabib already accepted …. Dana kind of lied to me, they didn’t approach Khabib first, they approached me first to make it happen …. I know now for a fact — one hundred percent [Dana lied to me].”