FRIDAY NEWS DIGEST: Dana White says GSP seems wishy-washy about a return so he shouldn’t fight, is Nick Diaz an option, Ramsey Nijem update, more notes

GSP – WILL HE OR WON’T HE?

The will he or won’t he saga of Georges St-Pierre’s return to UFC continues.

UFC President Dana White was candid with his thoughts on St-Pierre’s desire to return to fighting Thursday on “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd telling the Fox Sports radio host what he’s been saying for some time, that he doesn’t think GSP really wants to fight.

“He doesn’t have that drive and that desire he once had,” White told Cowherd while also adding that he doesn’t think St-Pierre should be fighting. “And if you don’t have that, no, you shouldn’t fight.”

White went on to bring money and St-Pierre’s worth to the company into the conversation. “I don’t care how big you are or how much money you make or how much you bring into the company,” he said. “If you don’t want to fight anymore, you shouldn’t fight anymore. This is a sport – you’re all in, you can’t be wishy-washy.”

St-Pierre has been stating quite definitively all summer that he is ready to fight and preparing to come back, going as far as to enroll himself in the USADA drug testing pool in time to be ready for a potential fight Dec. 10 in Toronto. Despite all of this, White has been steadfast in his denial that GSP will or wants to return to UFC.

Hiscoe’s Analysis: White’s insistence that GSP doesn’t want to fight is curious when placed in contrast to the statements St-Pierre is making publicly. GSP has been equally consistent in his desire to fight again soon which makes White’s comment implying St-Pierre is being “wishy-washy” less than credible. Either White is completely misinformed or one of them is bluffing. I have a hard time envisioning a scenario where GSP would pretend that he wants to fight again when he actually doesn’t. It is, however, entirely believable that White is using this as a negotiating tactic because he and/or UFC ownership believe that GSP is asking for too much money to fight so they are presenting the public stance that he must not be serious. Wherever the truth lies, hopefully for fans a deal gets made as St-Pierre returning will be a can’t miss show and if all of this talk ends up in nothing, it will be a huge disappointment.

FRIDAY NOTEBOOK ITEM…

-Georges St-Pierre told MMA Fighting that a fight with Nick Diaz “could be very possible.”

-The Professional Fighters Association, a group that is aiming to unionize UFC fighters, tweeted Thursday that they have printed authorization cards and will begin collecting signatures. This process is necessary to legally form a union, but there is still the caveat that UFC fighters are technically independent contractors.

– Chad Laprise weighed in at 159 lbs. this morning for his lightweight fight with Thibault Gouti tomorrow on UFC on FOX from Chicago and will forfeit 20 percent of his purse to Gouti. All other fighters made weight.

-Valentina Shevchenko, fresh off her win over former Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm, has signed a seven-fight contract extension with UFC according to MMA Fighting.

-Mike Perry will fight Danny Roberts at UFC 204 from Manchester, England. Perry knocked out Hyun Gyu Lim in an upset last week at UFC 202.

-Ramsey Nijem, former UFC fighter and Ultimate Fighter runner-up, has signed 10-fight contract with World Series of Fighting. He announced the contract on his Instagram. He was released from UFC last year after a split-decision loss to Andrew Holbrook.

-WSOF announced a Light Heavyweight Championship fight between champion David Branch and Vinny Magalhaes for their show on Oct. 7 in Kansas City, Kansas.

-Pro-wrestler and Bellator fighter Bobby Lashley is scheduled to fight at the Bellator show Oct. 21 from Memphis. No opponent has been announced.

-Adam Hunter has been flagged for a potential USADA anti-doping violation and has been pulled from tomorrow’s UFC on Fox card. He failed on out of competition test on Aug. 11. No replacement opponent for Ryan Janes has been named but it is unlikely one will be as weigh ins have been completed.

-Michael “Venom” Page will fight Fernando Gonzalez at Bellator 163 in San Jose, California. Page most recently delivered the flying knee that caved in the skull of Evangelista Santos that went viral along with his “Pokemon Go” inspired celebration.