GSP talks recovery, downtime and Nick Diaz at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas (Cagewriter.com)
LAS VEGAS -- Think Georges St-Pierre isn't obsessed with Nick Diaz? Consider this: The UFC welterweight champion didn't know who is playing in Sunday's Super Bowl.
When the Montreal native was asked if he'd be rooting for the New England Patriots against the New York Giants during a media availability at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Wednesday, St-Pierre replied "Are the Patriots playing? I don't even know who's in the [game]. I think New York is in it. New York is closer to Montreal, so I hope New York will win."
One would think St-Pierre would have plenty of time to keep up with the rest of the sports world, since he's been on the sidelines in Los Angeles, rehabbing from his December surgery to repair his torn left ACL.
But it's clear he's fixated on Diaz, the one fighter who has proven his ability to get under his skin.
"I can be a little, what do you call it? OCD. Obsessive-compulsive," said St-Pierre.
Diaz, who fights Condit for the interim welterweight title in the main event of UFC 143 on Saturday night, is the current object of GSP's self-described OCD. While St-Pierre has all the respect in the world for Condit, the champion is openly rooting for a rematch with St-Pierre, who he feels has openly disrespected him.
"I'm thinking about him right now, said St-Pierre. "I don't try to think too much about him. I hope he wins the fight Saturday night. I hope he does, I pray he does. Maybe he won't, but I hope he does."
"I want Nick Diaz to win for two reasons," said St-Pierre. "First, it is the fight everyone wants to see, he was the champion of Strikeforce and I was the champion of the UFC. What lights the fire in me is challenges. When I don't have a challenge, I feel dead. Also, a lot of the things he has said, he has questioned me and my integrity. I have never cheated in my life. It is one thing when you something to promote the fight but it is another when you attack someone personally. It is what it is and that's why I have my motivation to fight him.
GSP's last bout was in April of 2011 (Getty Images)St-Pierre said he won't be able to train all-out until July, which makes November the earliest target date for an Octagon return when you factor in a full training camp if all goes well. His last fight was his April 30, 2011, win over Jake Shields, so a November return would mean a year and a half away from the cage.
But St-Pierre's laser focus is aimed at Diaz, so the champ shook off questions of Octagon rust and dismissed the notion of taking a tune-up fight before facing Diaz.
"In mixed martial arts, there's no such thing as a tune-up fight. There's not guy out there who I can say, oh, I can take him. Who knows, that guy might kick my ass. There is no such thing as tune-up fights. In boxing, they can have optional title fights. I truly believe it's ridiculous. You're champion, you should fight the main guy."
So GSP has made it clear Diaz is the man he wants to fight, preferably as soon as November.
"I want him to wait for me. I want him to go on vacation and relax a bit and wait for me, because I'll be back soon."
Just don't ask him about the NBA Finals or the World Series between now and then.
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