St-Pierre only wants Khabib showdown if he returns to UFC, Ferguson eyeing fight

Georges St-Pierre said he would only fight unbeaten star Khabib Nurmagomedov if the UFC great decided to return to the Octagon.

Former welterweight and middleweight champion St-Pierre – regarded as one of the all-time greats – has not fought since his win over Michael Bisping at UFC 217 in 2017.

But the 39-year-old Canadian left the door slightly ajar for a UFC return as lightweight champion Khabib prepares to face Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 on October 24.

"I believe Khabib right now, he's the best fighter in the UFC. He's the best guy right now. He's undefeated; nobody has beat him. He has this aura of invincibility," St-Pierre told ESPN.

"What is the most scariest thing for a fighter, but also the most exciting, is to fight someone who seems unbeatable. If I ever considered to come back, that would be the fight I would be interested in because of that reason.

"I have a mixed feeling about it. Three years ago, after my fight with Michael Bisping, I was all in. We try to make it happen. Now things have changed. The stars need to be aligned. Three years ago, I was even willing to go down to 155. I was back. I was active. Now it's tough.

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Although I have a hectic lifestyle and training schedule, it’s also important to have down time and to reflect. @Lovehempuk CBD keeping my head strong. @worldhighlifeuk
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"There is always a way to work things out, but the stars need to be aligned for me in order to make that [fight] work. Three years ago, I was very flexible, now I'm not really. I'm good where I am. I'm a big fan of Khabib.

"The chances [of me fighting Khabib] are very low. I highly, highly doubt it. It's not because of Khabib; I believe it's because of the UFC. We tried three years ago. Three years ago, we were very flexible. We tried everything and it didn't work three years ago. So I don't see why it would work now.

"I run away with the 170. I run away with the 185. They surely don't want me to come back and beat their undefeated champion and run away again. So I think for business purpose, it's a big risk to take. I don't think they're willing to do it."

Meanwhile, lightweight star Tony Ferguson wants to fight in 2020 after he lost to Gaethje in their interim title bout at UFC 249 in May.

Ferguson had won 12 successive fights, dating back to 2012, before falling to Gaethje earlier this year.

"I will be competing," Ferguson said. "People will see me, one way or another, being active."

"I got [welterweight] and I've got the frame to go up to [middleweight]," he said. "I like to go out there and compete. Everybody forgets that I used to knock everybody out at 170."