Crossover matches between MMA fighters and boxers have become all the rage in recent years. Conor McGregor laced ‘em up against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017, Vitor Belfort stepped into the ring against Evander Holyfield in 2021, and Anderson Silva exchanged body blows with Jake Paul in 2022.
Fight fans were nearly treated to another blockbuster bout more recently between four-time UFC champion George St-Pierre and Mayweather. We sat down in Montreal with GSP, now a BET99.com ambassador, to get the lowdown on what could have been.
According to St-Pierre, he was contacted by a promoter who proposed a “fair compromise” between boxing and MMA against the undefeated super featherweight and light middleweight champion. “I was retired, and I was like, you know what, this one, I'm interested in,” he recalled.
St-Pierre then met with the promoter in Austin, Texas to learn more about the match, but it soon became apparent that the so-called “compromise” heavily favored Mayweather. Although it would take place in an octagon and spinning back fists would be permitted, GSP would not be allowed to throw kicks or perform takedowns.
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St-Pierre gamely inquired whether he would be allowed to deliver kicks above the belt or throw Mayweather down in any capacity, and once again, he was flatly denied.
“If you don't allow me to use my legs, like use my takedown, and I'm not talking about go to the ground, but just my throw, forget it, because it's a trap,” St-Pierre said. “I'm not that stupid, you know?”
The promoter relayed St-Pierre’s suggestions to Mayweather, but the fight never came to fruition, robbing fans of what could have been a truly unique showdown.
Although the match didn’t work out, enterprising promoters continue to try to entice St-Pierre out of retirement.
“I have stuff like that every few months,” he admitted. “I don't say I will never do it, you know, but it needs to be something safer. And I would say something more fun maybe, perhaps for a charity or something like this. My days of trying to prove I'm the strongest man in the world are over.”
Want to see more of GSP's insights? Read his UFC 300 picks and predictions ahead of this weekend's heavily-hyped event and check out his personal UFC Mount Rushmore.
