UFC: Firas Zahabi On GSP Returning And Kevin Lee Becoming Champion
In February of this year, GSP announced his retirement from MMA, citing the main reason being that the UFC showed no interest in making the only fight he was interested in. That being against Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Despite almost ten months into his retirement, George St-Pierre hasn’t lost any of his passion for the sport and continues to train like a monster. This is according to his long time coach Firas Zahabi, who was asked how often he’s still training, whilst on a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience MMA Podcast.
“All the time. He’s a machine. Dude, I’m telling you, if [Kamaru] Usman or Colby [Covington] gets injured…I don’t want to talk for Georges but man, he can kill anybody. He can kill anybody this man. He’s the world’s greatest martial artist. He’s a monster. I was just training with him Saturday,” Zahabi said (as transcribed by MMA Junkie).
“He loves to train. Saturday he trained, he finished all his rounds, and then he coached some blue belts and purple belts, just kind of hanging out with them, talking technique. The guy loves this stuff.”
GSP may very well still beat Usman of Covington, but having left the USADA testing pool after he announced his retirement in February, the 38 year old would need to re-enter the testing pool before making another comeback inside the Octagon.
Despite being totally against the idea previously, UFC president Dana White said he was open to the idea of a megafight between GSP and Khabib, in the UFC 242 post fight press conference. And according to Zahabi, the former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion has no other interest in any other kind of fight. Not even a title fight.
“It has to be, in my opinion – I don’t want to talk for him, but I think the thing that’s going to motivate him is a megafight. He doesn’t want to be champion again and fight every three-four months. That’s done. It’s not gonna happen no more. But one megafight. Invite him back for a megafight and see if you could entice him because he’s a competitor. He’s still training, he’s still ripped, shredded, fighting. He can do five rounds. Maybe he can’t do five rounds right away but he [only] needs a few weeks and then he’s doing five rounds. He’s close to being there. He can get in fight shape. He’s just a monster.”
Asked what one fight would bring GSP out of retirement and the Tristar Head Coach stated, “165 [lbs], Khabib.”
Earlier this year, Kevin Lee moved to Tristar to work with Zahabi and GSP and instantly saw the benefit, after scoring a spectacular headkick knockout over the formally unbeaten Gregor Gillespie, at UFC 244.
And Zahabi believes that ‘The Motown Phenom’ has what it takes to become a UFC champion.
“He could become world champion, if he’s disciplined. Because Georges was very disciplined. He didn’t veer of the game plan at all. And he got the job done.”
Do you think we’ll see GSP return in 2020? Or Kevin Lee win UFC gold in the future?
See also: