Georges St. Pierre

Kamaru Usman isn't often listed among the top fighters in MMA, but UFC president Dana White believes the welterweight champion can become one of the greatest of all time.  

"He's about to beat [Georges St-Pierre's] record," White told TMZ Sports. "And If he can get through Gilbert Burns on Saturday night, which is gonna be a tough fight, he's a guy that'll just keep grinding, and then one day we're all gonna wake up and go, 'Oh wow!' We're all gonna be talking about G.O.A.T status with this guy."

Usman has won 12 welterweight fights in a row, which ties the record previously set by Georges St-Pierre. White noted the fighter has 16 wins in a row overall dating back to his only professional loss in 2013, which came before he joined UFC.

The 33-year-old first won the welterweight title with a win over Tyron Woodley by unanimous decision, and he has defended it twice with convincing victories over Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal.

It has helped Usman move up to No. 5 in the current pound-for-pound rankings.

Considering No. 1 Khabib Nurmagomedov is retired and No. 2 Jon Jones hasn't fought in over a year, Usman has a chance to continue moving up the rankings.

One issue could be his dominance in the weight class, especially if he defeats Gilbert Burns on Saturday at UFC 258. Usman would have wins over each of the top four contenders, leaving few chances to prove himself unless he moves divisions.

Of course, the lack of worthy opponents could further prove why he is one of the best of his era.

Dana White appears close to talking Khabib Nurmagomedov out of a brief retirement. However, if Nurmagomedov does return for a 30th fight, it won't be against Georges St-Pierre.

"Nope," White told reporters Saturday after the UFC on ABC 1 event. "GSP never came up. (Nurmagomedov) isn't interested in that fight. From what I hear today, after that, neither is GSP. So, that's over."

Khabib-GSP had been a fight both stars hinted at in the past, but it appears both parties want to go in a different direction. White said Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, Dan Hooker and Charles Oliveira were discussed among potential bouts for Khabib. 

The UFC lightweight champion retired in October after defeating Justin Gaethje via submission at UFC 254. At the time, Nurmagomedov's decision was heavily influenced by the July death of his father, who also served as his coach. 

White and Khabib met last week as the UFC president attempted to persuade him back into the Octagon, saying Nurmagomedov did not reject his advances. Before Saturday's ABC event, White said if either the McGregor vs. Poirier or the Hooker vs. Chandler fights were "special," Khabib would ultimately return.

A McGregor-Khabib rematch would have the opportunity to go down as the single biggest fight in UFC history. The pair met at UFC 229 in October 2018, a fight that had one of the ugliest and fiercest builds in recent memory. Khabib submitted McGregor in the fourth round, and the camps from both fighters wound up in a brawl that resulted in the suspension of both stars.

Nurmagomedov defeated Poirier at UFC 242. He has never gone head-to-head against Chandler, Hooker or Oliveira. 

St-Pierre has fought just once since 2013. His last bout was a victory over Michael Bisping at UFC 217 in November 2017.

UFC President Dana White discussed Friday the possibility of both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Georges St-Pierre coming out of retirement to fight each other.

White addressed the idea in an interview with UFC Arabia:

On the prospect of Nurmagomedov fighting GSP, White said: "I don’t know. I think that if he wanted to fight Georges St-Pierre, you have him give up the [UFC Lightweight] title, and him and Georges St-Pierre could fight."

White tweeted video of Khabib getting ready to have a meeting Friday in Abu Dhabi:

While Khabib retired after beating Justin Gaethje in August to improve to 29-0 as a professional fighter, White met with him in hopes of getting him to come back for at least one more fight.

Since Khabib has talked about his desire to fight St-Pierre in the past, offering a bout with GSP could be White's best chance of getting Nurmagomedov back in the fold.

Upon retiring, Khabib cited not wanting to fight anymore following the death of his father and trainer Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Khabib also said he spoke with his mother and told her he wouldn't fight any longer.

White has been adamant about having a meeting with Khabib and pleading his case ever since, however. White discussed his plan for Friday's meeting and the fights he would like to see Nurmagomedov in if he were to return:

Here’s the thing. The last time he fought here [against Gaethje], he was under tremendous pressure physically, mentally, emotionally. His dad had just died, and I don't think that anybody should make a decision that big with what he was dealing with. He's had time now to go home and heal, spend time with family, think about a lot of things, so this is just going to be a real easy conversation. It's yes or no. Did you really want to retire or do you wanna fight one more time?

... I mean [a rematch with] Conor McGregor is a no-brainer of a rematch if he wins the fight [with Dustin Poirier at UFC 257] on Saturday. [Charles] Oliveira is out there now. There's guys out there that are big fights, good fights, fights that make sense for him. It just depends on where his head's at and what he wants to do.

White has never publicly pushed for Khabib vs. GSP, but Nurmagomedov clearly has a great deal of respect for St-Pierre, and there is no question that UFC fans would like to see the fight.

The 39-year-old St-Pierre has fought only once since 2013, that being a submission win over Michael Bisping at UFC 217 in 2017 for the UFC middleweight title.

St-Pierre vacated the title while dealing with ulcerative colitis and later announced his retirement in 2019.

In his career, GSP is 26-2, and he won rematches against the only fighters he lost to—Matt Hughes and Matt Serra.

Meanwhile, Khabib is a perfect 29-0, and going for 30-0 would be a huge deal regardless of the opponent. But given GSP's dominance and the fact that he has barely fought since 2013, the excitement among fans would likely reach a fever pitch.

Ali Abdelaziz, the manager for UFC sensation Khabib Nurmagomedov, said a clash with MMA legend Georges St-Pierre is likely the only fight that could entice his client out of retirement.

Abdelaziz told TMZ Sports in an interview released Friday that Khabib, who announced his fighting career was over following an October win over Justin Gaethje, isn't motivated by money but has always been interested in taking on the former welterweight and middleweight champion.

"Honestly, I think if Georges St-Pierre is serious about coming back to fight, I could see it happening—that would get Khabib up," he told TMZ.

Abdelaziz doesn't think there's another fight that would entice Nurmagomedov back to the Octagon, saying even a big-money rematch with Conor McGregor wouldn't be enough.

"I think financially it's a huge fight," he told TMZ. "But, we know Khabib, it’s hard to persuade him financially."

The dominant lightweight champion's manager added a meeting is expected to take place between Nurmagomedov and UFC president Dana White in the near future to discuss if the retirement is final.

"Dana is really good at getting people to do things," Abdelaziz said.

Khabib has never shied away from his interest in getting a shot at St-Pierre, one of the greatest fighters in MMA history. He discussed it as a possibility on ESPN's First Take before his fight with Gaethje.

"I don't know if he wants to fight with me or not, can he make weight—155 or not—but this fight makes me excited, honestly," he said. "And I think me vs. Georges is going to be very, very big fight. Like big fight for fans, big fight for pay-per-view, big fight for analytics, for everybody. This is only fight in UFC, after Gaethje, that makes me very excited."

Although there's no doubt that bout would attract ample interest, whether it would be competitive is a tougher question to answer.

St-Pierre has only fought once since the start of 2014. That was a submission victory over Michael Bisping in a November 2017 middleweight title fight. One year later, the Canadian standout announced on La Sueur podcast (h/t MMA Fighting's Jed Meshew) he'd fully recovered from ulcerative colitis but said another UFC return had become "less tempting."

His track record is terrific, with numerous high-profile wins en route to a 26-2 record, but he'll be 40 in May and staring down an opponent in Khabib, 32, who's still pretty much at the peak of his powers.

That's a tough ask, even for one of the sport's most accomplished champions. It would be a matchup that would be tough for White and the UFC to pass up if both fighters are interested, though.

Khabib Nurmagomedov reaffirmed his retirement from MMA on Friday, despite UFC president Dana White suggesting to TMZ Sports he could coax the undefeated lightweight champion back into the Octagon with a megafight. 

Speaking to Russia's RT Sport (via ESPN's Ariel Helwani), Nurmagomedov made clear he's done with the sport: 

"There will always be rumors about my comeback," Nurmagomedov said. "... But I have no plans to continue fighting."

Nurmagomedov shocked UFC fans by retiring immediately after defeating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in a lightweight title unification bout.

The 32-year-old cited the recent unexpected death of his father and long-time trainer, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, as the central reason for his retirement. 

White invoked Abdulmanap to TMZ, telling the website it was a dream of Khabib's father for his son to finish with a 30-0 record. Nurmagomedov is currently at 29-0. 

The UFC boss tossed out Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson as opponents he believes Nurmagomedov would come back to fight, but Khabib quickly shut that down. 

"There will always be rumors about my comeback because Dana White, or other promoters who could replace him in the future, will always want me to fight," Nurmagomedov said. "It's all about big money, views and media coverage, so I am sure they will keep chasing me. ... They always want the show to go on." 

On Thursday, ESPN's Brett Okamoto asked Nurmagomedov's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, what kind of fight would interest Khabib to return. The manager said he could see Nurmagomedov perking up if Georges St-Pierre were finally interested in making a fight happen, but White told TMZ he's not considering that option. 

It seems the UFC president will have to get used to life without one of his top fighters unless either he or Nurmagomedov changes his mind. 

If UFC president Dana White wants to coax Khabib Nurmagomedov back into the Octagon, there's one matchup out there that could do the trick.  

Asked by ESPN's Brett Okamoto what type of challenge would interest Nurmagomedov in ending his retirement, manager Ali Abdelaziz didn't have to think too hard. 

"I think the one thing that would make Khabib crazy, make Dana crazy and make everyone crazy. I think if Georges St-Pierre picked up the phone and called Dana White and he said 'I'm going to make 155 pounds,'" Abdelaziz said. "And I love Georges St-Pierre, everybody knows how much I love Georges St-Pierre, but Georges St-Pierre, he's playing with us also because he keeps doing interviews and he knows what he's doing."

Nurmagomedov last defeated Justin Gaethje in a lightweight unification bout on October 24 before announcing he was stepping away from the sport. 

The Russian star said he couldn't continue his career without his father, who died on July 3 after contracting COVID-19. 

At 32 years old, Nurmagomedov finished his career with a sterling 29-0 (8 KOs), having defeated some of the sport's best including Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Al Iaquinta. But he was never able to set a bout with St-Pierre, the 2020 UFC Hall of Fame inductee. 

"I feel this fight never happened because Georges never committed to 155 pounds," Abdelaziz said.

St-Pierre, 39, last fought at UFC 217 in 2017, defeating Michael Bisping via third-round submission. 

Nurmagomedov has previously called out St-Pierre publicly to no avail while White stated his preference for one of his sport's most iconic fighters to remain at welterweight. 

It would take a notable weight loss from St-Pierre and a contract too good to turn down for either to agree to a bout at this point, but Abdelaziz wants UFC to know his fighter would at least listen to a proposal. 

As the first round of their title fight at UFC 254 came to a close, Justin Gaethje wore an expression familiar to Khabib Nurmagomedov's previous 28 opponents. He appeared befuddled, shell-shocked and overwhelmed, a fighter put into positions he'd never experienced before.

Nurmagomedov (29-0) fights like a movie monster, endlessly walking forward, ruthlessly hunting, refusing to allow his prey an inch, a breath or even a prayer. That indefatigable pursuit is paired with an otherworldly athleticism and explosive speed and power that can shock the system of even the most accomplished opponents.

"That pace and pressure of Khabib is what separates him from most guys," former champion and color commentator Daniel Cormier said as Nurmagomedov backed Gaethje down with a force as inexorable as the tides. And, though Cormier is Khabib's teammate and friend, he's also exactly right.

There is no one in the sport like Khabib—and there may never be anyone like him again. 

With just over a minute left in the first round, Gaethje landed a left hook, the kind of haymaker he's used to earn a title opportunity in the UFC's most competitive division. But, where other opponents have fallen backwards in the face of such a mighty blow, Nurmagomedov appeared to barely notice he'd been hit at all. 

From there, the fight was all but over. Without the power of respect forcing Nurmagomedov to be cautious, the Dagestani grappler only increased his pace and pressure, taking Gaethje down with a speedy double leg and nearly submitting his frazzled foe in the few seconds remaining in the round. 

When he scored a takedown in Round 2, nothing could save Gaethje. In less than 10 minutes, Nurmagomedov once again proved he was on another level from everyone else in the sport, retaining both the lightweight title and maintaining his undefeated record.

"He is," UFC President Dana White said at a press conference after the fight, "the baddest motherf--ker on the planet."

At the end of the bout, after demonstrating his BMF credentials, Khabib shocked many by announcing his retirement from the cage. The death of his father, legendary coach Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, in July had shaken the fighter to his core. His mother, he told announcer Jon Anik, had extracted a pledge from her son that he wouldn't compete again.

"I promised her it's going to be my last fight," Nurmagomedov said, removing his gloves and leaving them in the center of the cage. "And, if I give my word, I have to follow that. It was my last fight here."

Walking away is hard enough—leaving in the midst of unprecedented dominance is impossible to even fathom. But, if any retirement should be taken seriously in this most fickle of sports, it's this one. Nurmagomedov seems intent on living up to his vow to his mother. I'll take him at his word and consider the book on his career closed—which leaves us now to grapple with his place among the best to ever do it.

Determining the UFC GOAT (greatest of all time) is a tricky, subjective business. Most of the fighters considered for the honor are nearing the end of long, distinguished careers or retired from the sport. 

Anderson Silva's artistry stands alone, a movie fight scene come to life, his thin, long limbs reaching out to smite his opponents from all angles. The Brazilian striker (34-10 [1]) defended the middleweight title 10 times and racked up a record of 11-2 in championship contests. Performance-enhancing drug busts and a 1-6 (1) record in the final frame of his Hall of Fame tenure are the only black marks that potentially mar his claim.

Jon Jones (26-1 [1]), similarly, exists under the cloud of PED accusations and a seemingly constant state of scandal. But he's lost only once in a 12-year career, a disqualification in a bout he was easily winning. The long-time ruler of the UFC's most prestigious division, he dispatched six other UFC champions and went 14-0 (1) in title contests before giving up his belt to pursue a run at heavyweight. 

Georges St-Pierre, the legendary welterweight, is arguably the closest comparison point for Nurmagomedov. A strong, top control grappler who worked behind a stiff jab, GSP rarely lost a round after winning his championship back from Matt Serra after a shocking upset. Unlike Silva and Nurmagomedov, however, St-Pierre adopted a risk-averse approach that led to a lot of easy decision wins but fewer highlight-reel moments.

The truth is, his abrupt retirement means Khabib will never match his elite peers when it comes to title wins and championship longevity. His position is unique. Very few fighters leave combat sports on top. Almost no one departs quite like the undefeated Nurmagomedov, at 32 just entering what many would consider his physical prime. That makes it difficult to compare him to the other iconic fighters the sport has produced.

What separates Nurmagomedov isn't the number of wins he accumulated or the length of his title reign. It's his dominance that makes Nurmagomedov unique even among his legendary peers. 

Lots of fighters, of course, win consistently in the Octagon. But few pitch the kind of shutouts Nurmagomedov managed routinely. He's not only never seen an opponent's hand raised in his career—in his 13 bouts in the UFC, he's only lost a single round.

When history is written, it's likely that Nurmagomedov's career will include an asterisk meant to ask "what might have been?" Retiring at his best, unfortunately, means he was never able to demonstrate consistent, championship-level mastery or an ability to maintain his position atop a sport that is notorious for eating fighters up and spitting them out.

Is Nurmagomedov the best to ever do it? No. But he might have been. And that's enough to guarantee entry into the GOAT conversation for years to come.

Jonathan Snowden covers combat sports for Bleacher Report and is the author of Total MMA, a comprehensive history of the sport's early years. 

Khabib Nurmagomedov still has to dispatch Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 on Saturday, but he's already setting his sights on his next fight. 

The UFC lightweight champion said Tuesday on ESPN's First Take that he'd relish the opportunity to oppose 2020 Hall of Fame inductee Georges St-Pierre.

"I really become excited when I think about Georges St-Pierre," he said. "I don't know if he wants to fight with me or not, can he make weight—155 or not—but this fight makes me excited, honestly.

"And I think me vs. Georges is going to be very, very big fight. Like big fight for fans, big fight for pay-per-view, big fight for analytics, for everybody. This is only fight in UFC, after Gaethje, that makes me very excited."

Conor McGregor announced he has accepted a fight with Dustin Poirier for Jan. 23.

Poirier is the No. 2-ranked lightweight challenger, and McGregor is one of the biggest stars in UFC. The winner of their encounter could be the next in line for the current champion.

Nurmagomedov has wins over both fighters, though, and he said on First Take he has little interest in any rematches:

St-Pierre hasn't fought since beating Michael Bisping by third-round submission in November 2017, and that was his first bout since stepping away from MMA in 2013. The 39-year-old is widely regarded as one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters ever, so he has nothing left to prove inside the cage.

Still, St-Pierre told ESPN's Marc Raimondi that a bout with Nurmagomedov could coax him out of retirement:

"If I ever come back, I'm not coming back for many fights. If I come back, it would be for one fight. And I need to take, for me, the biggest fish. And the one—for me, I believe—the top guy right now, the name is Khabib. As a fighter, the most exciting thing is to take the guy who seems invincible, unbeatable. He has the aura of invincibility. But it's also the scariest thing to do."

There's probably no bigger money fight in UFC than Khabib vs. McGregor right now. The 2.4 million pay-per-view buys for UFC 229 were the most ever for the company.

However, Nurmagomedov has said at every turn he doesn't want to fight McGregor again, which isn't too surprising given how personal the buildup to their 2018 matchup became.

St-Pierre would undoubtedly supply UFC with the kind of headliner who attracts not only diehard fans but also more casual observers of the sport. Because of his lengthy layoff and lack of experience at the 155-pound lightweight limit, the odds of him actually opposing Khabib are probably slim.

Georges St-Pierre officially retired from mixed martial arts in February 2019, but the UFC Hall of Famer isn't closing the door on a comeback if he gets offered the right fight.  

Speaking to ESPN's Marc Raimondi, St-Pierre said the only challenger he would end his retirement for is UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov:

"If I ever come back, I'm not coming back for many fights. If I come back, it would be for one fight. And I need to take, for me, the biggest fish. And the one—for me, I believe—the top guy right now, the name is Khabib. As a fighter, the most exciting thing is to take the guy who seems invincible, unbeatable. He has the aura of invincibility. But it's also the scariest thing to do."

Nurmagomedov is currently scheduled to defend his title against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 on Oct. 24. The Eagle is a perfect 28-0 in his MMA career, including 12 straight wins in UFC. 

UFC president Dana White recently told Sports Illustrated's Justin Barrasso he's working to get Tony Ferguson a fight that could lead to a long-awaited match with Nurmagomedov if both stars win. 

Of course, if there's a possibility to get St-Pierre back for a marquee bout with Nurmagomedov, White would almost certainly be willing to alter plans. 

St-Pierre hasn't fought since a victory over Michael Bisping at UFC 217 in November 2017. He submitted Bisping with a rear-naked choke in the fourth round to win the middleweight title in his first-ever bout at 185 pounds. 

"Everybody knows, it's not a surprise, I announce my retirement," St-Pierre told reporters at his retirement press conference last year. "There are no tears. I'm very happy to do it."

St-Pierre ended a four-year sabbatical to fight Bisping. He vacated the middleweight championship one month after winning it after being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. 

In addition to holding the middleweight title, St-Pierre was a two-time UFC welterweight champion. The Montreal native held the undisputed 170-pound title from April 2008 through November 2013, going 10-0 during that span.