George St Pierre’s Team Have Responded to Claims that the Canadian Hall-of-Famer will Fight Nate Diaz in July…
Don’t get too excited. It’s by no means a sure thing just yet. That’s the message coming out of UFC legend George St. Pierre’s camp after news leaked the other day that he is negotiations to take on fan-favorite Nate Diaz in July.
This potential match-up was met with general all-round approval. Diaz has been out of action since losing to Conor McGregor in 2016 but has signaled his intention to return. Meanwhile, St. Pierre returned from a four-year hiatus, to win the middleweight title from Michael Bisping. Financially it makes a lot of sense.
However, there appears to be a long way to go before either fighter signs on the dotted line. Now former UFC fighter, and camp insider, Kenny Florian has revealed how the Canadian’s team have reacted to the news that leaked on Tuesday.
Surprised
Florian said that he had spoken to some of St. Pierre’s coaches, who seemed bemused by the news. Of course, they are. The UFC definitely doesn’t want Georges St. Pierre back and definitely haven’t offered him his choice of lucrative match-ups. Right. Florian said:
“I haven’t confirmed that with anyone in their camp. When I did bring it up to one of the coaches in that camp they seemed to be surprised and unaware about that news.”
Where there is fuel there is fire. The rumors that Nate Diaz would be fighting on the Los Angeles, UFC 227 card in July, have been bubbling away for the past couple of weeks. There’s definitely some truth in them.
Rush Wins
Florian also thinks that this is an easy fight for ‘Rush’ – if it does go ahead. He shares the same opinion as former UFC champion Michael Bisping and the oddsmakers, who all believe that St. Pierre has got this. Florian said:
“No matter what weight class, whether it’s 155-pounds or 170, Georges will have a significant size and strength advantage. So that is a tough fight for Nate. I would have to favor Georges St Pierre in that fight.”
Historically, Diaz has struggled against wrestlers in the past. However, he does have age and durability on his side. Plus, St. Pierre is going to have the nastiest weight cut of his life. He’s going from 180 to 155. That’s not fun at all.
Interesting Fight
Whatever happens, assuming both men sign on the dotted line, this one will be fascinating. Both Diaz and St. Pierre are big enough names that they will draw in pay-per-view buys and keep the UFC happy. There is also the side narrative that Nate’s brother Nick has already been beaten by St. Pierre. Expect that to come up in the promotion.
Of course, the biggest prize for the winner is a shot against Conor McGregor. The only fight for him that makes sense right now is Khabib Nurmagamedov. That dolly through the bus window sells itself right now. Anything else would be stupid. Hopefully, we’ve got a couple of hot fights coming up!