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Stephen Thompson recently picked Georges St-Pierre as the 170 lbs GOAT ahead of Kamaru Usman.
Despite Usman's string of impressive performances, Thompson gave the nod to St-Pierre because of the Canadian star's longevity as champion.
During an interview with Erik Uebelacker on the MMA Full Mount YouTube channel, Thompson stated that Usman could eventually become the GOAT. However, he said that 'The Nigerian Nightmare' still has work to do before he can surpass St-Pierre:
"In my mind the GOAT is GSP. The guy defended the title so many times that it's ridiculous. I'm not saying Usman won't get there because he's just beating everybody. He's the up-and-coming name in the GOAT conversation. In a few years, he could be the GOAT. GSP is an inspiration and buddy of mine since he comes from a karate background as well. So right now, it's hard to look past GSP," said Thompson.
Watch Stephen Thompson's take on the welterweight GOAT debate below:
Chael Sonnen praised Kamaru Usman for calling Georges St-Pierre "the ghost that haunts the welterweight division"
During a recent episode of Beyond the Fight, Chael Sonnen praised Kamaru Usman for trying to diffuse the narrative pitting him against Georges St-Pierre:
"Kamaru Usman, when he was doing this interview, was very honest. Honesty has always served Kamaru Usman. Don’t ever let this get off the ground. Let it go. And that is what complimenting Georges and admitting that he is the ghost that hangs over the whole division is very appropriate. And then Kamaru furthered this thought. Kamaru furthered the thought and said, ‘It doesn’t exist anymore,'” said Sonnen.
Sonnen said that when Tyron Woodley, Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler held the championship, they would automatically be compared to St-Pierre. He also stated that since 'Rush' has been inactive for a long time, Usman won't be subjected to those same comparisons.
Sonnen added that since Usman and St-Pierre competed in different eras, there is simply no way for 'The Nigerian Nightmare' to prove that he is the better fighter.
Watch Chael Sonnen's take on Kamaru Usman talking about comparisons with Georges St-Pierre:
