G. St-Pierre had the last fight of his career at UFC2 217. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @georgesstpierre
If we ask the most fanatical MMA fan to list their 10 favorite athletes in the history of the sport, they will hardly forget Georges St Pierre. Champion in two different divisions in the UFC, the Canadian made his mark in the company and emerged as a great icon in mixed martial arts. The athlete, however, does not agree with the fact that they chose one as the greatest among so many combatants. In an interview with 'ESPN' reporter, Ariel Helwani, Georges spoke about the subject.
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“I don’t think anyone is the best. Let me explain: There are three guys. One will end up winning over the other. That's how this game works. It's a matter of time. Everyone can defeat everyone someday. If you face a top guy 10 times, he might not win all 10. Depending on the situation, he might win nine. In the fight business, there are no ready-made rules,” said the Canadian.
Showing a lot of serenity when dealing with the matter, the former welterweight (up to 77kg) and middleweight (up to 83,9kg) champion stated that his way of thinking is not old. It was crafted and shaped according to the experience gained in his life as a martial arts professional.
“When I was young, I wanted to be the best of all time, but I got older and gained more experience. I realized it was fleeting. Does not exist. You can't be the best fighter on the planet. There will always be a guy who can beat you. I know you may disagree, but if you have different training partners, you will find it to be true. There are guys better than you who maybe aren't even fighting, but if you face them in the gym, you'll see that they'll beat you. There is no boss,” said St. Pierre.
Owner of one of the most solid careers in the history of the sport, Georges also spoke about the experience of winning a world title. Still, the Canadian stated that there are reasons to prevent the mentality that a belt guarantees hegemony over a group.
“When you face an opponent as the champion, you are number one just because you beat your opponent that night. This does not give you the right to place yourself above other competitors. That's how most people see it, but it's not how I see it now. Before, it was as I imagined, but I realized that it was just an illusion”, he concluded.
Currently, Georges is 38 years old. The athlete has not worked professionally in MMA since he defeated Michael Bisping for the middleweight title in November 2017. After winning another title with the UFC, St.Pierre once again stepped away from the sport.
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