All is not lost, GSP fans. When negotiations between UFC legend Georges St-Pierre and the UFC fell apart in the lead up to UFC 206, hopes dimmed for ever seeing St-Pierre compete in the octagon again. Then when GSP was revealed one of the faces for the newly-formed MMA Athletes Association, it was assumed that that might be the death knell for a GSP-UFC reunion. Well, au contraire mon frère.
In an interview with TSN (Canada’s version of ESPN), GSP revealed that the UFC reopened negotiations with him the very same day that the MMAAA was announced. (big up to MMA Fighting for the transcription).
“Actually, the night that we launched the association we received a letter, Rodolphe [Beaulieu] received a letter – my agent – from the UFC lawyer saying that they want to renew the negotiation with me because at the point where I was before the negotiation, the communication was cut. So we didn’t have any kind of communication.”
He then went on to explain why a deal couldn’t be hammered out for him making is return this Saturday in Toronto at UFC 206.
“I was hoping to get it done against Michael Bisping and he was hoping it too but unfortunately the conditions that they were offering me for the contract were unacceptable. Any smart person would not have accepted it. A person who would have accepted it is scared and has no choice but I’m healthy, I’m wealthy, I have the choice. I don’t have to take something that is not advantageous for me. I mean equitable. Because now I was taking all the risk and it was not equitable.”
With Conor McGregor on the shelf for the foreseeable future, Ronda Rousey hinting at retirement, and Jon Jones suspended until next summer, the UFC could really use a money-maker like GSP back in their stable.
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