“We have several names, and I think I need to choose someone who will be a formidable opponent for me, whom the fans will want to see in the confrontation with me,” the legendary Canadian said in the next edition of the MMA Hour program. “There are a lot of veteran fighters who have good grappling backgrounds. Perhaps one of the Diaz brothers will be my opponent – something like that the fans will want to see. Nick Diaz is a very good grappler. If it is him, I must be very well prepared.”
At the same time, Saint-Pierre ruled out the candidacy of Khabib Nurmagomedov, with whom he unsuccessfully tried to share the octagon in the past.
“I’m not sure it’s real. I think he’s retired. His name was not on the list, and it was not mentioned in the conversation. He’s still retired and I’m not sure if he’s still going into martial arts.”
A week earlier, it was officially announced that 42-year-old Georges St-Pierre would compete at the Fight Pass Invitational on December 14 in a no-gi jiu-jitsu match.
The Canadian has not competed since wrestling the UFC Middleweight Championship from Michael Bisping at UFC 217 in New York in November 2017, resuming his career after a four-year hiatus. In 2021, the Canadian fighter was going to have a boxing match with Oscar De La Hoya, but UFC President Dana White vetoed the fight.
39-year-old Nick Diaz fought his last fight in the UFC in September 2021, losing by TKO in the third round to Robbie Lawler. In March 2013, the American made an unsuccessful attempt to take away the UFC welterweight title from Saint-Pierre, losing to the Canadian by unanimous decision after five rounds.