Georges St-Pierre seems primed to make a comeback very soon.
UFC president Dana White told UFC Unfiltered that the promotion is working on putting together a fight between St-Pierre and Nate Diaz at UFC 227 on Aug. 4 in Los Angeles. ESPN reported previously that the parties involved were discussing that bout, and MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani reported Tuesday that the talks were still “preliminary.”
White said GSP and Diaz would fight at 155 pounds. St-Pierre is the former UFC middleweight and welterweight champion, but this would be a major drop in weight for St-Pierre if it happens. Diaz has fought most of his career at lightweight, but both of his fights against Conor McGregor took place at 170 pounds.
White stated that the UFC has been offering both Nate Diaz and Nick Diaz fights over the last few years, but they have not come to a deal. But this one against GSP for Nate, he said, is a possibility.
“I need to give them three fights a year,” White said. “If I fail to give them three fights a year, then I have to pay them. I’ve honored my contract with those guys — they keep turning down the fights, which extends their contracts. But we are working right now to try to put together a Georges St-Pierre versus Nate Diaz fight.”
The plan, as it stands now, is for both GSP vs. Diaz and Rockhold vs. Gustafsson to be on the UFC 227 card, joining the bantamweight title rematch between champion T.J. Dillashaw and former champ Cody Garbrandt. Derek Brunson vs. Antonio Carlos Junior has also been announced for the Staples Center event.
“In my perfect world, if everything goes perfect — which nothing goes f*cking perfect in this world — Dillashaw vs. Garbrandt, GSP vs. Diaz would be the co-main,” White said. “Gustafsson vs. Rockhold and Derek Brunson vs. Antonio Carlos Junior.”