St-Pierre Urges Gaethje To Retire

Georges St-Pierre has a message for Justin Gaethje, urging him to retire following his undisputed lightweight title win over Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250.

GSP feels the 37-year-old has accomplished everything the sport can offer and should walk away before the temptation of one more fight costs him something he cannot get back.

"You might not like what I'm going to say, but if I were him — because I like him — I would retire. I heard Demetrious Johnson say it, but that's what I would do. That would be an amazing ending. What else does he want to accomplish? He did it all. He did it all," St-Pierre

St-Pierre acknowledged the financial gravity that makes retirement from the top feel impossible for most fighters, but held his position.

"For money, if you stop now, you are under the impression that you're leaving money on the table, maybe. Because you're fighting for a title. I'm sure he can still beat a lot of guys. Maybe he can still go on a roll. But health, I think, is the priority. When you're a professional athlete in combat sport, it's very hard to retire on top because you're always tempted — one more, one more, one more. But man, what a magnificent way to end a career it would be for him," GSP

St-Pierre retired at 26-2 and is widely regarded as having left the sport in better shape than almost any champion before him. He speaks from a position of authority that few others can claim when it comes to walking away while the record and the reputation are still intact.

Gaethje hinted at retirement in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan on the White House lawn and has since confirmed he will not fight again in 2026, citing a 180-day medical suspension and the physical toll of two fights in a single year.

The queue waiting for his decision includes Charles Oliveira with a winner-takes-all BMF proposal, Arman Tsarukyan as the frontrunner, Dustin Poirier hinting at a comeback trilogy, and Volkanovski signalling openness to a third two-division attempt.