I don't dispute that Khabib is an all time great, but how can fans justify his legendarily shameful ducking of GSP? Perhaps the most shameful ever.

[AndrewGolota48]

Khabib would not even agree to a catch weight fight against a way past his prime, ultra inactive GSP. He demanded that GSP cut to 155 for the first time in his entire life at nearly 40 years old.

To put this into perspective, look at how much shit Sherdoggers have given Jones for beating up on Stipe recently, because Stipe was old and inactive. But at least Jones moved up to Stipe's weight class and did it. Just imagine if Jones demanded that Stipe cut to LHW for the first time in his career in order for the fight to take place! It would be absolutely disgraceful!

And then imagine Stipe agreed to a catch weight fight and said ok Jon, I will fight you at 215 lbs, and Jones still answered with a resounding no! That's not good enough Stipe, your old past time inactive ass must cut all the way down to 205 if you want to fight me.

It would be mind-blowingly disgusting to all MMA fans across the world. It would be ridiculed for years to come. I simply can't understand how anyone can defend Khabib for doing the same thing to GSP.

They are VERY similar situations, all four are considered GOAT level in their weight classes, and Stipe was super old and inactive just like GSP, with the younger more active fighter being from the lower weight class. The difference is Jones moved up happily and destroyed Stipe with ease, while Khabib chose to make the fight not happen at all due to his ridiculous and unreasonable demands.

And yet JONES is somehow the one that took more flack for it, exposing the disturbing emotional bias that blinds rationality of most MMA fans, reducing them to the level of children thinking of Jokes as the diabolical supervillain and Khabib as their favorite superhero: one can do no right and the other can do no wrong.

Edit: by the way, major respect for Islam who was chomping at the bit to fight the 170 champion in their prime (Leon), without a second thought.

 

[Mammothman]

The fight was never seriously considered.

Khabib retired already and GSP has been long gane.

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

I don't recall this

 

[AndrewGolota48]

That's a dodge, Khabib made it explicitly clear that he would not be willing to fight GSP at 170. He even has the nerve to say "against the greatest WW" as if the GSP he would fight is the same one as ten years earlier.

"Talking to the media during the Eagle FC 33 media scrum in Moscow, ‘The Eagle’ detailed his reason for refusing to move up a weight class. He reasoned that his body weight is as such that it fits correctly in the lightweight frame. Therefore, fighting the greatest welterweight of all time in GSP when Khabib has been a lightweight in his career doesn’t make the most sense.

“I won’t fight at 170. That’s for sure. It’s not my natural weight. When I’m in shape, my weight is around 180. To cut down to 170 and then weigh in around 176 on fight night against the best fighter of the weight class in the history of the sport?” Khabib said"

 

[AndrewGolota48]

I don't recall this

I'm guessing you're a huge Khabib fan then, selective memory .

 

[joy2day]

This is GSP's quote:
“There’s a lot of infrastructure problems in the weight class,” St-Pierre said. “He’s fighting at 155. I know I can go at 155, but the problem is now I’m 39. Three years have passed [since my last fight]. I haven’t cut weight for a long time. If I go down to 155, my performance will be compromised. I know Khabib is the same size as me, he’s maybe bigger than me when he’s off season. I never got up to 200 [pounds]. I’m at 185. So that turns to his advantage if we cut more weight, he’s able to bounce back more than I am. He’s used to it.

“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.”

Georges St-Pierre Says Catchweight is “Condition” For Khabib Nurmagomedov Fight

fcfighter.com

I could see why he wouldn't want to fight GSP, who is like Khabib with a striking game. Similar reason that Tito ducked Chuck for a long time, a bad matchup for him. Khabib can hold on to his undefeated legacy by avoiding GSP.

I don't see this as the huge injustice the OP describes, but I do agree with the wild inconsistencies with fans on this subject.

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

I'm guessing you're a huge Khabib fan then, selective memory .

Nah, big GSP fan, I just happen to remember all talks of a Khabib and GSP fight being speculation only and there was never any serious consideration of it happening.

As a matter of fact, as a big GSP fan, I've had to do a lot of defending of his health reasons being legitimate enough for vacating MW, because he was having such a tough time keeping weight on that he even suggested LW is a more sensible option in the future than MW. So really even before the Khabib "talks" (that was only talk) GSP is the one who said he could do 155. And I've never heard Khabib say he wouldn't do a catchweight, just that he wouldn't do 170.

So you have a 170 guy say he can maybe do 155, then the 155 guy saying he wouldn't go 170, and you think the number 155 being thrown around for a fight that was never actually volleyed about for a contract is egregious? Well, we know who you're a fan of, and it ain't "sense"

 

[Trabaho]

Same way GSP didn´t do the catch weight Anderson Silva fight or didn´t want to defend his belt at MW. His paper belt.

Guys like fighting smaller opponents. Smaller guys don´t have to accept a fight vs the guy from the division above.

 

[dipstickjimmy]

Khabib would not even agree to a catch weight fight against a way past his prime, ultra inactive GSP. He demanded that GSP cut to 155 for the first time in his entire life at nearly 40 years old.

To put this into perspective, look at how much shit Sherdoggers have given Jones for beating up on Stipe recently, because Stipe was old and inactive. But at least Jones moved up to Stipe's weight class and did it. Just imagine if Jones demanded that Stipe cut to LHW for the first time in his career in order for the fight to take place! It would be absolutely disgraceful!

And then imagine Stipe agreed to a catch weight fight and said ok Jon, I will fight you at 215 lbs, and Jones still answered with a resounding no! That's not good enough Stipe, your old past time inactive ass must cut all the way down to 205 if you want to fight me.

It would be mind-blowingly disgusting to all MMA fans across the world. It would be ridiculed for years to come. I simply can't understand how anyone can defend Khabib for doing the same thing to GSP.

They are VERY similar situations, all four are considered GOAT level in their weight classes, and Stipe was super old and inactive just like GSP, with the younger more active fighter being from the lower weight class. The difference is Jones moved up happily and destroyed Stipe with ease, while Khabib chose to make the fight not happen at all due to his ridiculous and unreasonable demands.

And yet JONES is somehow the one that took more flack for it, exposing the disturbing emotional bias that blinds rationality of most MMA fans, reducing them to the level of children thinking of Jokes as the diabolical supervillain and Khabib as their favorite superhero: one can do no right and the other can do no wrong.

Edit: by the way, major respect for Islam who was chomping at the bit to fight the 170 champion in their prime (Leon), without a second thought.

Dude I am a huge GSP fan and would have loved to see this fight but the circumstances you are quoting just don't line up with what I can recall. Initially GSP considered coming back for a fight against Khabib when Khabib was the LW champion. Of course it would only make sense for it to be at 155 lbs but it was also shut down immediately by the UFC. GSP has directly said in interviews he understood why the UFC wouldn't want him to be able to beat one of their champions and then possibly not fight again.

As far as the idea of them fighting at a catchweight being discussed that fight never happened as Khabib decided he was retired and not coming back. I don't see how he could have made demands for 155 lbs when he was refusing the fight completely.

 

[joy2day]

Dude I am a huge GSP fan and would have loved to see this fight but the circumstances you are quoting just don't line up with what I can recall. Initially GSP considered coming back for a fight against Khabib when Khabib was the LW champion. Of course it would only make sense for it to be at 155 lbs but it was also shut down immediately by the UFC. GSP has directly said in interviews he understood why the UFC wouldn't want him to be able to beat one of their champions and then possibly not fight again.

As far as the idea of them fighting at a catchweight being discussed that fight never happened as Khabib decided he was retired and not coming back. I don't see how he could have made demands for 155 lbs when he was refusing the fight completely.

Khabib did make those demands initially, but you are right that there were politics with the UFC around the fight that made it more difficult to happen. It wasn't only that demand that stopped the fight.

 

[jsbx45]

Different weight classes, different eras. This fight was never seriously considered. This is a clickbait thread, shame on you TS.

 

[AndrewGolota48]

This is GSP's quote:
“There’s a lot of infrastructure problems in the weight class,” St-Pierre said. “He’s fighting at 155. I know I can go at 155, but the problem is now I’m 39. Three years have passed [since my last fight]. I haven’t cut weight for a long time. If I go down to 155, my performance will be compromised. I know Khabib is the same size as me, he’s maybe bigger than me when he’s off season. I never got up to 200 [pounds]. I’m at 185. So that turns to his advantage if we cut more weight, he’s able to bounce back more than I am. He’s used to it.

“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.”

Georges St-Pierre Says Catchweight is “Condition” For Khabib Nurmagomedov Fight

fcfighter.com

I could see why he wouldn't want to fight GSP, who is like Khabib with a striking game. Similar reason that Tito ducked Chuck for a long time, a bad matchup for him. Khabib can hold on to his undefeated legacy by avoiding GSP.

I don't see this as the huge injustice the OP describes, but I do agree with the wild inconsistencies with fans on this subject.

How is it not a huge injustice?! Look at what GSP said, that's the reality. Khabib basically pulled the "tree times my size" card and people mock Conor relentlessly for that, even though OBJECTIVELY the size difference between Conor and Nate is far bigger than between GSP and Khabib.

 

[AndrewGolota48]

Same way GSP didn´t do the catch weight Anderson Silva fight or didn´t want to defend his belt at MW. His paper belt.

Guys like fighting smaller opponents. Smaller guys don´t have to accept a fight vs the guy from the division above.

At least that was a PRIME Silva and Anderson had more of a size advantage over GSP than GSP would have over Khabib. Very different situations. If we compare it to Jones again, Jones didn't want to move up and fight prime Ngannou but it was an easy decision to do so for Stipe.

 

[AndrewGolota48]

Different weight classes, different eras. This fight was never seriously considered. This is a clickbait thread, shame on you TS.

Bro this is pathetic denial, we have clear as day quotes from Khabib and GSP about the situation. It doesn't even matter if you feel like the fight couldn't happen due to external circumstances, the bottom line is Khabib wasn't willing to fight an old inactive fighter at 170, and demanded he cut to 155 for the first time in his life at nearly 40.

 

[AndrewGolota48]

So I see that no one is able to actually defend it, so the strategy is all out denial like a straight up politician. Very sad that fans can't be objective about simple things like a sport like MMA, what hope is there for religion and politics....

 

[Ladder Master]

He would not have a perfect record if he fought at 170lbs in the UFC.



BJ Penn quote

BJ Penn on Why Khabib Never Moved to Welterweight: "He is not proficient and confident in jiu-jitsu"

BJ Penn believes that Khabib Nurmagomedov never moved to welterweight because his BJJ level isn't high enough to fight bigger opponents

middleeasy.com

“Since Khabib has been saying he is the greatest lightweight of all time and I am number 2 best lightweight many people have been asking me why didn’t Khabib fight Usman for the 170-pound belt or compete for 170 belt like I did many times… in my humble opinion it is because he is not proficient and confident in jiujitsu,” said Penn.

“I believe the reason behind Khabib not fighting Usman is because he does not know jiujitsu like I did and he is not comfortable fighting off his back against someone who is bigger and stronger than him like I did many many times in my career. I fought at 170, 185, and heavyweight, and every fight I had to fight from my back and survive and come back and fight harder if I was to get a victory.”

 

[smalliebiggs]

he was giving GSP a taste of his own medicine for demanding Anderson cut to 170 for the superfight

 

[joy2day]

How is it not a huge injustice?! Look at what GSP said, that's the reality. Khabib basically pulled the "tree times my size" card and people mock Conor relentlessly for that, even though OBJECTIVELY the size difference between Conor and Nate is far bigger than between GSP and Khabib.

Because it wasn't all that relevant of a fight, it was a one-off. GSP was out of his prime and would have fought and retired. Also, the UFC did not want that fight, so there were other reasons it didn't happen.

GSP: UFC ‘Categorically Refused’ Khabib Superfight

Georges St-Pierre says UFC showed little to no interest in booking a superfight between "Rush" and current UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

www.mmamania.com

 

[Iconoclast]

They weren't in the same division. He didn't duck GSP.

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

Because it wasn't all that relevant of a fight, it was a one-off. GSP was out of his prime and would have fought and retired. Also, the UFC did not want that fight, so there were other reasons it didn't happen.

GSP: UFC ‘Categorically Refused’ Khabib Superfight

Georges St-Pierre says UFC showed little to no interest in booking a superfight between "Rush" and current UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

www.mmamania.com

I know "Dana says" is a big joke, but even with Dana saying this fight was never discussed, the fact anyone thinks Dana would have allowed GSP to come back to retire after being "burned" on it once is out of their minds. Dana said Georges would have to fight a contender first. Add in that Ali said it was never negotiated, and Khabib, and I believe even Georges himself said the fight was never actually entertained by the UFC should have clued us all in as to what happened here.

But apparently one guy didn't get the memo and his mailbox is still empty over 3 years later

Dude I am a huge GSP fan and would have loved to see this fight but the circumstances you are quoting just don't line up with what I can recall.

I guess all of us have selective memory except OP, but that's because we're all massive Khabib fans