GSP Says He’ll Fight Anderson Silva ‘When I Decide the Time is Right’

By John Heinis on Monday, November 26th 2012
GSP Says He’ll Fight Anderson Silva ‘When I Decide the Time is Right’
Photo: Courtesy of MMA News

Looks like the superfight between Georges St-Pierre vs. Anderson Silva won’t be penciled in the UFC's 2013 schedule.

On Sunday, GSP appeared on Radio-Canada’s “Tout Le Monde en Parle” (“Everyone is Talking”) and said that while he does plan to fight the long-reigning UFC middleweight champion one day, it will be on his terms when he thinks the time is right (via MMA Fighting).

"This fight is the cherry on the sundae," he said. "He wants to fight me so he can then retire. I would like to fight him too, but after I fight him and win the fight, what happens next? These days, yeah, there's a lot of money to be made, but I don't fight for the money.”

Interestingly on the topic of money, the host stated that “Rush” makes roughly $15 million a year in addition to his fight purses. Since money is not a factor, St-Pierre stated that the fight with Silva is about deciding who the greatest active fighter really is.

“My motivation is to be the best. Like we said, to be the Wayne Gretzky of my sport. So if I fight him, what happens next? It will be over. So yes, I want the fight, but I want to take it when I decide the time is right, not when he wants the fight to happen.”

The UFC welterweight champion also indicated that he walks around at 188 pounds, while Silva has tipped the scales at a whopping 234 pounds in between fights. Therefore, he wants to have adequate time to put on weight for the bout.

“I just came back from an injury, there's money to be made, there are fights in my weight class, other challenges out there, and if I fight him, I will have to gain weight, while he will have to lose weight, and then afterwards, I won't be able to come back to my weight class.”

"First and foremost, I have things to do at 170 pounds. When I am ready and when I want the fight, that's when it will happen."

St-Pierre, who successfully defended his title for the seventh time against Carlos Condit at UFC 154, saw Johny Hendricks stake his claim at the 170-pound title with his 46-second knockout of Martin Kampmann at the same event.

Fans still also seem to be intrigued by a bout between St-Pierre and former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz, who returns from a Nevada State Athletic Commission issued suspension for marijuana in February.

Is now the time to book Silva vs. GSP or is this fight still at least a good 18 months away, if at all?

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