MMA legend Georges St-Pierre isn’t in a ‘Rush’ to fight rival Nick Diaz again.
However, while the former UFC two-division champ remains uninterested in facing the elder Diaz brother, he recently had some high praise for Nate Diaz. The Stockton slugger has largely been the talk of the MMA world this week. He returned from a lengthy absence to defeat Anthony Pettis at UFC 241 in Anaheim last weekend.
It was apparent from the crowd reaction that Diaz is indeed a massive fan favorite. In fact, even UFC president Dana White finally admitted that following the pay-per-view. St-Pierre believes he knows why that is. Speaking to Chael Sonnen (via MMA Mania) this week, ‘GSP’ claimed Diaz’ popularity is rooted in his authenticity. In the era of fighters attempting to copy Conor McGregor, Diaz has stayed true to his roots:
“He’s an amazing character because he is so authentic. He doesn’t care about what he says, very authentic guy.
“Now is the Conor McGregor era, and you see a lot of guys that try to mimic other guys that are more successful, in terms of their platform. They want it to become bigger. And it doesn’t work for a lot of them because they’re not authentic, but Nate Diaz is very authentic. He is a unique person and a unique character. That’s why people love him so much.”
Better Than Ever?
St-Pierre then admitted he wasn’t expecting Diaz to come back and fight as he did against “Showtime” after three years off. He performed so well, St-Pierre insisted, that he looked better than he ever has:
“What a comeback. After three years, I was not expecting that. I think he looked better than he ever did. It was amazing.”
Diaz has since been linked to a high-profile fight with Jorge Masvidal after calling out “Gamebred” at UFC 241. Negotiations appear to be at somewhat of a standstill according to Dana White, however. As for St-Pierre, he retired earlier this year after not getting his coveted bout with UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. He was recently named as one of only three fighters who could potentially beat ‘The Eagle.’
While the all-time great remains steadfast that he’s done, a bout with Nate Diaz featuring a revenge angle could certainly be a fight worth returning for.
