‘Khabib’s retired, I’m retired’ – GSP just asked to fight Khabib at 165 lbs
Manager Ali Abdelaziz reveals some huge fights offered to retired former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Khabib Nurmagomedov is still getting huge fight offers in retirement, according to his manager Ali Abdelaziz. These days, undefeated former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is enjoying two months of officially retired life, mostly helping out his comrades as a coach. Google now has him labeled as a “Russian promoter.”
But according to his manager Ali Abdelaziz, “The Eagle” continuous to receive huge fight offers.
The Dominance MMA Management founder recently went on Hotboxin’ With Mike Tyson to “break some news.” One of them being Georges St-Pierre calling for a fight with Khabib at 165 pounds.
“Ten days ago, Dana White called me. And he said, ‘Georges St-Pierre, he said he will fight Khabib. Non-title fight, 165 pounds.’ But in a way, we’ve been waiting for Georges… I like Georges. He’s my friend,” he said.
We’ve been waiting for Georges for four or five years. ‘I’m coming, I’m not coming.’ At the end of the day, the UFC wanted to make him fight at lightweight. He went on to welterweight. Khabib was the lightweight champion. But now he said, ‘Hey, Khabib’s retired, I’m retired, what about coming back (to) fight Khabib now?’
GSP originally hung up the gloves after negotiations with the UFC stalled and they didn’t book the bout between him and Khabib. Will things turn out differently now that they’re both retired?
The fight may still be a huge draw should it happen now, but taking out his promoter hat, Abdelaziz does not think it will end well for St-Pierre.
“To be honest, as a human, I don’t want to see Georges St-Pierre in this… He’s 40 years old today. It’s his birthday. Khabib is a… the man wrestled bears, alligators, and lions. They both have the same game, but Khabib is much younger, more ferocious. I don’t think it will be even a fair fight.”
Instead, Abdelaziz offered another one of his fighters for St-Pierre.
“The pound-for-pound king right now, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ Kamaru Usman,” he said. “The man never lost a fight in the UFC, never got touched in the UFC, he smashed everybody. If (GSP) wants to come back and fight somebody ‘invincible’ like he wants, hey. They’re the same weight.
“Georges St-Pierre can come back, fight Kamaru Usman. I’ll be more than happy, the UFC will be more than happy, and it will be such a huge fight.
“I think Georges is also smart. (He saw how Usman) dismantled Jorge Masvidal. And Georges, does he want to get hurt, get knocked out like that at this age of his life? Maybe not.”
St-Pierre just turned 40. He recently wanted to fight Oscar De La Hoya, until the UFC decided to block the boxing match from happening. He technically still has a UFC contract despite being retired for two years.
Read More
