Georges St-Pierre is currently mulling a return to the fight game and could be set for his greatest ever pay-day.
According to Tristar colleague Rory MacDonald, the former pound-for-pound king would not chase UFC titles if he returned. Rather, he would go after big names for super-fights.
In an interview with Réseau du sports, Stephane Patry stated his belief that St-Pierre could drop down to lightweight to fight Conor McGregor.
In his blog*, Patry, who is St-Pierre’s former manager, wrote:
‘Georges St-Pierre said openly that he could easily get down to 155 pounds to fight. and it is a fact that several fighters who fight at 155 pounds are bigger and walk around heavier than St-Pierre.
‘So if McGregor becomes champion of 145 and 155 pounds, and St-Pierre takes the time to get his weight down in a healthy and intelligent way, do you not think that the UFC would not want to put on the biggest fight in its history?’
In 2011, St-Pierre’s coach Firas Zahabi said his man could handle the drop down to 155lbs but that a fight against then-champion Frankie Edgar was not palatable.
Were McGregor to take the step up to lightweight, and indications are that he will, at UFC 197, then a GSP return could well see him paired off against The Notorious.
Ahead of McGregor’s featherweight title win over Jose Aldo, at UFC 194, St-Pierre declared himself a fan of the Irishman’s mind games.
It would be interesting to see if McGregor would ever try that tactic on GSP.
*Patry’s musings are from last month but were highlighted by Bloody Elbow this weekend.