GSP wants Khabib at catchweight
Were he to take on UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, Georges St. Pierre would want the fight to be in a weight class neither of them have fought at before. Huh?
“I’ve never been a fan of cutting weight. Even when I was a welterweight, I was 185. Most guys are much bigger than 185. But that’s one of the things in the principles of the art of war. Know the terrain. I don’t know. I’ve never fought at 155. He knows. I believe to make it fair we need to fight in a place where we’ve never been, both of us. That would have to be a condition to me coming back if it happens.” – via MMA Fighting
There are a number of great GSP quotes we’ve been treated to over the years that give insight into the mindset of arguably the greatest fighter in UFC history. This is another.
Rather than asking for the fight at 170-pounds, something that would seemingly work for everyone involved, there’s a twist. He doesn’t want the perceived advantage of a career of making 170-pounds, while Khabib has spent his entire UFC career at lightweight. But he’s not going to be stupid and diminish his talent with a major weight cut to 155-pounds for pride’s sake.
So, he proposes a catchweight. That’d likely mean 165-pounds, but 175-pounds wouldn’t be crazy either. Five pounds may not seem like a huge difference, and it’d be interesting to see the potential differences in match-ups at different weight classes.
But for GSP, it’s less a tactical move, and more a mental one. He wants an even playing field, and no excuses for either party, even though someone in his position could argue for every small potential advantage, and get it.
