Georges St-Pierre says he's VERY flattered by Kamaru Usman's call-out ... but he's just not ready to un-retire and get back in the Octagon.
"I think for me it's better if I stay retired," GSP tells TMZ Sports ... "It's not worth it for me."
Of course, GSP formally retired back in 2019 -- saying he wanted to leave while still on top (his last fight was a '17 victory over Michael Bisping).
But, 39-year-old GSP still trains like a maniac -- and people close to him say he's still in dangerous fighting shape.
In fact, UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman called him out earlier this month -- saying he would love to bait GSP out of retirement for one last fight before he truly rides off into the sunset.
But, St-Pierre tells us he's given it some serious thought ... and he just isn't feeling a comeback -- at least not right now.
"Sometimes I'm watching the fights and I'm like, 'Man I think I can beat these guys' or after when I'm done training I feel like I'm very confident," GSP says.
"But, after I go home at night and I'm thinking about all that crazy thoughts and I'm like 'I'm gonna be 40 years old soon, do I really wanna go back and do a hardcore training camp of 2 months? Put myself in jail so to speak and get ready for hell? I'm like, no I don't."
"I've done it for a very long time and unfortunately there's too many guys that retire too late and I do not want to be one of these guys."
"I'm very fortunate, I'm healthy most importantly and I'm also wealthy. I came out at the right time, I made a lot of money and I think the problems are when I matured and calculated the pros and cons, it's better that i stay retired."
GSP had nothing but praise for Usman -- saying the guy is one of the smartest fighters out there and has big things in his future ... but he's just not ready to throw down right now.
But, watch the whole clip ... St-Pierre says he's always willing to entertain an offer if the UFC calls him up.
Dana White has said he's the next in line for a title shot against Usman!
There is one minor speed bump -- Kamaru received a 180-day medical suspension due to the potential of a broken nose suffered in the Masvidal fight -- but there's a chance he could be cleared to return earlier if doctors allow.
"I've offered him a shot! I said, 'Hey if you want it, it's yours, you got it' and he was silent."
That's UFC champ, Kamaru Usman, telling TMZ Sports he TRIED to make a fight with Conor McGregor happen earlier this year ... but the Irishman was all talk.
"If Conor wants to put my name in his mouth, then come get some."
Kamaru is on a TEAR right now -- running through some of the top fighters in the welterweight division including Tyron Woodley AND Jorge Masvidal.
Conor -- who's won UFC titles at 145 lbs and 155 lbs -- has flirted with the idea of fighting for that 170 lb welterweight belt, but Kamaru says when push came to shove, Conor didn't want the smoke.
"[A Conor fight is] just a lost cause," Usman says ... "because we both know Conor -- the only time Conor gets up to the welterweight division is if he's able to pick and choose lightweights with double-digit losses that he can pick off and not have to cut weight to get down to lightweight."
"If Conor wants a piece at welterweight, he knows who the king of the division is. I'm not going anywhere! I'm right here!"
There was also talk about a possible Conor McGregor vs. Masvidal matchup down the line ... so we asked Usman who would win that fight.
"Honestly, I don't know and truthfully I don't really care. At this point in my career, I'm just worried about me."
Usman says his focus is on getting back into the Octagon and fighting the best in the world -- noting he's still hoping he can lure Georges St-Pierre out of retirement!
"Yeah, I would love to test myself against a guy like that. But, as far as Conor, if he wants a piece, he can come talk to the king. Those aspirations to becoming a welterweight champion, severely turn into nightmares when you step inside that Octagon with me."
Khabib Nurmagomedov is NOT retiring from MMA, despite reports to the contrary -- and he WILL fight Justin Gaethje before the end of 2020, so says his manager.
We spoke with Ali Abdelaziz, who manages both Khabib and Justin -- and he tells us straight-up, both guys are on board.
"We have a blockbuster main event [Khabib] versus Justin Gaethje. Two of the best lightweights in the world today in the recent era."
There have been questions about Khabib's fighting future ever since his father passed away from COVID earlier this month.
Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov wasn't just Khabib's father -- he was also his coach, mentor and best friend.
"Everybody understands how close Khabib and his father were," Ali says ... "We lost something very important and the UFC's been so awesome, especially Dana. He's been communicating with Khabib, the whole team has been amazing."
Ali says Khabib is "heartbroken" -- "but at the end of the day, Khabib's father has a legacy he wanted Khabib to accomplish."
In other words, Ali says Abdulmanap would WANT Khabib to continue fighting ... to share his talents with the world.
And, Ali believes Justin Gaethje is the perfect opponent.
"We see what Justin Gaethje did to his last opponent. He dismantled Tony Ferguson, he made him look an absolute amateur."
We also asked if there was a chance Conor McGregor could be in the mix for either Khabib or Justin ... ya gotta hear what Ali says about that!
UFC rising star Amanda Ribas says Fight Island was one of the BEST experiences of her life -- telling TMZ Sports she was treated like a princess from the second she stepped off the plane!
Of course, 26-year-old Ribas flew to Abu Dhabi to take on Paige VanZant at UFC 251 -- and after securing an armbar submission in less than 3 minutes, OF COURSE SHE WAS HAPPY!
But, Amanda says Fight Island was a dream come true ... she was treated like a rock star from start to finish -- and LOVED the food, especially the desserts!
Ribas is 10-1 as a pro and her star is exploding right now -- with signature wins over high-profile fighters like Paige and Mackenzie Dern.
So, how does Ribas want to exploit her newfound fame?
She wants to give back to the children back home in Brazil.
"In my city, we have a project there and I'm trying to put more money there to invest in people, invest in children because they are our future."
"I like to be like a person who you want to see and say, 'Ah, she's an inspiration for my children, a good inspiration' and I like to be like that."
Conor McGregorproved he could switch to Irish Olympic diving now that he's "retired" from MMA ... executing a perfect leap during his vacation in the French Riviera.
LOOK AT THAT FORM!!
The UFC superstar has been chillaxing off the coast of France for the past few days as part of a 32nd birthday celebration -- and while he left his brand new $620,000 watch in the hotel room, he made sure to bring his media team to the beach!
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
Seriously, Conor made sure his personal photographer AND a videographer tagged along with his girlfriend, Dee Devlin, and their 2 kids as they enjoyed the sun and sand.
Gotta have content for the Gram, right?!
Despite the fact Conor announced his retirement from MMA back in June, he seems to be keeping himself in fighting shape -- dude looks absolutely jacked.
Earlier this week, he traded friendly tweets with Manny Pacquiao suggesting a possible boxing match between the two -- but we're guessing he'll be back in the octagon before the boxing ring.
In the meantime, enjoy the time off ... and smile for the cameras!
"Right now, we're tied for the record -- most consecutive wins in the welterweight division," Usman says ... "[He's] considered one of the best and that's where I aim to be."
Of course, there's just one problem ... 39-year-old GSP retired a few years ago. But, there have been rumblings that he's down for a comeback -- and what better way to return than for a shot at the welterweight champ!
"George can still do it," Usman says ... "He proved it 2 years ago when he came back that he can still do it. I feel that he's still able to do it, I feel like he's still able to come in and be that opponent where people are unsure like, 'You know what, we don't know if Usman's got this one.' And I think Georges St-Pierre can be that guy."
Usman is coming off a dominating victory over Jorge Masvidal -- and before that he beat up Colby Covington and then-UFC champ Tyron Woodley. So, he's looking for another high-profile challenge.
"Where you at Georges? Where you at," Usman joked ... "Haha nah, George knows what he's done with his legacy. He's cemented his legacy."
"I would love to test myself. I'm a martial artist just like he was a martial artist and if he still has some fire burning in that oven, let's test it out!"
There's more ... we also asked Kamaru about that friendly moment with Masvidal after their fight at UFC 251 -- are they friends now?
"I wouldn't say all that. I would say it's a respect."
"He's a martial artist, I'm a martial artist, we respect one another because we share that space with one another. It's pretty difficult not to respect one another after you shared something so intimate with one another. I think that's what it was."
And, while Usman says he's deadly serious about wanting a fight with GSP, he's also serious about fighting ANYONE the UFC puts in front of him.
"I don't discriminate when it comes to an opponent and that's one thing that the company -- you can quote me on that, I don't say NO to anybody."
"If the company feels like that's the next guy or if its GSP or if it's Leon Edwards, then that's the next guy. My job as the undisputed champion is to stay champion so whoever they put in front of me, their dreams of being champion quickly turns into a nightmare."
Remember Maia BEAT Jorge Masvidal back in May 2017 -- in a 3 round split decision.
But, he took an "L" to Usman when they clashed a year later in 2018 in a 5 round unanimous decision.
So, with both of Demian's former opponents set to do battle tonight on Fight Island, we had to ask ... WHO YA GOT?!
Short answer ... Kamaru Usman -- and here's why.
"Fights is all about styles and matchups. It doesn't mean that if I had a difficult time with Kamaru and I won against Jorge, doesn't mean that the same will reflect on the fight," Maia says.
"I think there's some things that makes this fight more Kamaru favorite for this fight. I think he's more well-rounded, he's a very good wrestler and he's also you know he had that full camp."
"Masvidal, ya know, he didn't have this camp, he just got this fight so that's why I think Kamaru is the favorite, but MMA is a crazy sport."
There's more ... Maia also told us how Jorge can upset the reigning welterweight champ in the UFC 251 main event.
Tyron Woodley isn’t ready to write off Mike Perry after that crazy fight video at a Texas restaurant -- and he’s asking the UFC fighter tell his side of the story before it’s too late.
Woodley admits the video is a horrible look for Perry -- but asks fans to try and withhold judgment until we hear from Perry himself.
Of course, Tyron and Perry have been friendly for years -- and while Woodley isn't justifying Mike's actions, he's asking to reserve judgment until we hear from Mike.
Tyron explains everything in this week's "Hollywood Beatdown" -- and tells us why he still believes Conor McGregor's violent outburst at a bar in Dublin last year was even worse.
Woodley also tells us what he thinks of UFC's Fight Island -- and even picks a winner in the Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal fight.
"Even with the 'rona right now, I'll beat the sh*t out of Nate Diaz right now, if I had to."
That's UFC star Gilbert Burns -- who was pulled from UFC 251 for testing positive for coronavirus -- saying he's still down to scrap with Nate Diaz, even while being ravaged by COVID!!!
Yeah, this is some gangster stuff!
Long story short ... Burns was supposed to fight Kamaru Usman in the main event at Fight Island on Saturday -- but COVID killed those plans.
Instead, Jorge Masvidal is taking his place -- and Gilbert says he's super bummed out because he was REALLY looking forward to his title shot.
Still, Burns says he has faith that God has a plan for him -- "My time is gonna come."
In the meantime, Nate Diaz has talked some trash about Burns -- claiming his scrap with Usman wouldn't have been a "real fight."
"This guy is a clown," Burns says ... "I'm as real as it gets."
"If it wasn't for COVID-19, [Usman] would be my 3rd fight in 5 months. And, all tough fights, Demian Maia, Tyron Woodley and Kamaru Usman, the reigning champion."
"And, this guy [Diaz] comes from a loss that he gets beat up from Masvidal."
Burns says simply, "He's just talkin' sh*t ... he don't want no smoke from me."
So, what's next for Gilbert -- he hopes to fight the winner of Usman vs. Masvidal ... but if that doesn't work out, "I would love to beat the sh*t out of Nate Diaz."
As for Gilbert's COVID battle, he's feeling better but he's not out of the woods yet.
Dana White tells TMZ Sports he really hopes Jon Jones will fight in the UFC again ... but acknowledges JJ doesn't really need the money.
Of course, there's been some serious issues between Jones and the UFC -- with Jon recently saying he's considering sitting out until he gets a massive increase in pay.
"I don’t want to fight soon," Jones said on Steve-O's "Wild Ride" podcast ... "I have no interest in fighting in the UFC until I get paid what I believe I’m worth."
Jones also floated the idea of "retiring" in a tweet back in May if he doesn't get a better deal.
Honestly no, not in the stage of my career. I could retire today. I’ve already done my job, I’ve given this company over a decade of entertainment. https://t.co/8V3iORDXAk
So, we asked Dana if he thinks Jon will make good on his threat.
"I don't know," White said ... "Jon Jones has enough money to retire. He can retire."
"The whole Jon Jones thing has been a rollercoaster ride for many many years. Nothing surprises me with Jon Jones."
White says he invited Jones into the UFC office to explain the numbers in an effort to show transparency -- but White claims Jones turned down his offer.
"Listen, Jon Jones -- we've offered -- my lawyer offered to have Jon Jones come out and walk Jon Jones through the numbers and Jon Jones was like, 'I don't give a f**k what the numbers are. This is what I want and that's that.'"
So, will the two sides ever make peace and will Jon ever fight in the Octagon again?
"I hope so, but that's up to him ... if he decides to never fight again, that's up to him."
UFC fighter Mike Perry believes he has a problem with alcohol abuse -- and says he will seek professional treatment immediately ... following a violent altercation at a Texas restaurant.
As we previously reported, Perry punched an older man in the face -- and allegedly struck 2 more people -- during a crazy incident Tuesday night at the Table 82 restaurant in Lubbock.
Witnesses told us Perry had been ordering berry mojitos before things got violent.
Now, the UFC has issued a statement about the incident -- with several interesting points about Perry.
"UFC is aware and troubled by the video that was released last night concerning Mike Perry."
"The conduct displayed by Perry is not reflective of that of our organization," UFC said in a statement first reported by ESPN's Brett Okamoto.
The UFC says Perry has apologized for his behavior and acknowledged he was disappointed with himself that his actions may have reflected poorly on UFC.
"He further acknowledged that he believes he has some issues related to alcohol abuse and is informed UFC that he has committed to immediately seek professional treatment, including substance and behavioral counseling."
"At this time, UFC has informed Perry that he will not be offered a bout, and the parties have agreed to evaluate next steps for Perry following the completion of this treatment program."
Perry most recently fought in the UFC on June 27 -- earning a convincing victory over Mickey Gall.
That's UFC fighter Dan Ige telling TMZ Sports why he's rooting forMike Perry to get his life together after that horrible violent incident this week at a Texas restaurant.
As we previously reported, Perry -- a popular UFC fighter -- allegedly struck several people (including a woman and an older man) while leaving Table 82 in Lubbock.
Perry isn't commenting on the incident -- but several people in the UFC world are concerned the fighter is heading down a dangerous path.
Count Ige as one of those people -- telling TMZ Sports, he REALLY hopes Perry can turn his life around before it's too late.
"Mike Perry is definitely battling some demons in my opinion," Ige says ... "I just feel like he needs some guidance. "
"I'm not trying to tell him how to live his life. But, it's sad. You don't want to see guys spiral downhill. And, I hope he gets help. I hope he gets himself on the right path."
There's more ... Ige is facing Calvin Kattar in the main event at "UFC Fight Night" on July 15 -- in a fight that could lead to a title shot down the line.
8:33 PM PT -- TMZ Sports has obtained the police report -- and the details are terrible.
UPDATE
Cops say the man who was punched in the video appeared to be unconscious when they arrived.
UPDATE
A witness told them the victim had smacked his head against the concrete after he was punched.
UPDATE
The victim was transported to a nearby hospital and later spoke to cops ... but said he was experiencing memory problems due to the injury and didn't remember the punch or aftermath.
UPDATE
Cops also spoke with Perry who insisted he was just trying to leave the restaurant peacefully but people were "putting hands on me as I was trying to leave the building."
UPDATE
Perry admits to getting physical with multiple people -- but insists he was only reacting after the others had touched him first ... including the man he knocked down on video.
UPDATE
There's more ... a witness told police that during the altercation at Perry's table, the UFC fighter struck a woman who was ID'd as a friend of Perry's girlfriend. Unclear if she was injured in the incident.
'Platinum' Mike Perry -- a star in the UFC -- punched an elderly man in the face at a Texas restaurant Tuesday night in a violent, angry rage ... and the entire incident was caught on video.
Witnesses tell TMZ Sports ... the whole thing started when Perry got into a physical altercation with someone at his table at the Table 82 restaurant in Lubbock, TX around 10:30 PM on Tuesday night.
We're told a restaurant staffer approached Perry -- who had been ordering Berry Mojitos -- and asked him to leave the restaurant.
But instead of leaving, the witness says Perry PUNCHED the employee in the eye. We're told the employee suffered injuries.
That's when our video begins ... you can see people -- including Perry's girlfriend -- are trying to get Mike to leave the restaurant, but he won't go peacefully and drops several N-bombs on the way out.
It doesn't appear the N-word was directed at any Black people in the restaurant -- Perry is known to casually throw the word around in daily conversation.
As Perry and his GF left the dining area and walked outside, several men followed him out ... and things again escalated.
One of the older men got too close to Perry and Mike swung -- connecting with a haymaker from his right hand.
The older man went down -- and we're told he was later transported to a hospital with injuries.
As for Perry, he sat down on a ledge and challenged witnesses to call police -- which they did.
When cops arrived, we're told a report was taken but Perry was NOT arrested. We're still trying to get more info from law enforcement.
Aside from the alleged battery, we're told Perry also left without paying his bill and sources tell us the restaurant is considering pursuing a theft charge.
We reached out to Table 82 for comment and a rep for the restaurant told us, "Pending the criminal investigation, we prefer not to comment further because one of the victims was an employee of our company who had asked Mr. Perry to leave."
We reached out to Perry for comment but didn't hear back. However he did offer an official "no comment" on his Twitter page.
Perry is 14-6 as a professional MMA fighter -- defeating Mickey Gall on June 27 ... with his GF acting as his cornerman.
"Stop being a little salty bastard, get over [losing to me], 'cause I'm gonna do it again this weekend."
That's Alex Volkanovski comin' for Max Holloway's neck -- officially putting an end to their buddy-buddy relationship -- only days before their massive UFC 251 scrap on Fight Island.
The champ and former champ were super cool with each other ... but that all officially stopped when TMZ Sports talked to the 31-year-old featherweight titleholder, and asked if it'll be hard to hurt someone he likes.
"To be honest with ya, I don't go out to ever hurt my opponent, but we've got a job to do. I'm gonna punch his face either way, I'm gonna punch his head through the canvas is what I plan on doing."
Now, cue the beef.
"To be honest, he's sorta showing a side of himself that I haven't really seen before. Some of the things he's saying," AV says ... "He sounds like he's a little sour, he sounds a little salty about losing. Some of the things he's saying take me by surprise."
"I didn't take him to be a guy like that, to be a bit of a sore loser, I feel like I'm getting that out of him. But, again if he wants to act like that, so be it, it'll make punching him in the face even easier."
FYI, Volkanovski beat 28-year-old Holloway -- regarded by many as the greatest featherweight ever -- via unanimous decision in December 2019.
It's unclear exactly what Max -- who is seeking to avenge the L -- said to get Alex so fired up ... but the champ's adamant Saturday night will be less about revenge, and more about Holloway getting his head punched in.
"I can see myself hurting him, getting him to the ground, and if he's still going, just punching the head through the canvas."
Uh, yeaaaaaa, safe to say these guys ain't buds anymore.
