Georges St-Pierre Breaks Silence on How Close He Was to Fighting Khabib Nurmagomedov
The Ultimate Fighting Championship and its fans have rekindled discussions on who the greatest MMA fighter of all time is in recent days amid Jon Jones' retirement announcement, with names like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Georges St-Pierre getting airtime.
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St-Pierre, 44, retired on February 21, 2019 with a career MMA record of 26-2 while Nurmagomedov, 36, retired in 2021 with a record of 29-0.
Recently, footage surfaced of an interview between St. Pierre and MMA journalist Ariel Helwani at Fanatics Fest discussing how close the former UFC Middleweight and Welterweight Champion was to fighting Nurmagomedov, who won the UFC Lightweight Title in April 2018 and defended it three times before his retirement.
Georges St-Pierre at the Bell Centre in Montreal on May 10, 2025. © Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
"After Khabib retired, Dana called me and asked if I was interested in fighting Khabib," St-Pierre said. "I found that strange. I didn't really believe it. I said let me think about it. Then I called (Nurmagomedov's manager) Ali Abdelaziz and Ali says that wasn't true.
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"The first time we asked the UFC if they were willing to make the fight, they didn't want to do it. A few months after Khabib retired, Dana tried to make it because he knew we were both retired.
"I would have done it, I wouldn't have had (a) choice," St-Pierre said, later adding, "maybe it's better that way," in regards to the fight never happening. "One of us would have lost sort of an aura."
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
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