MMA legend St-Pierre reveals 'tactics' for contract negotiations with Ultimate in the past

G. St-Pierre (photo) recently turned 40. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

Known for his great performances in the Ultimate Octagon, Georges St-Pierre also seems to have stood out outside of it as well. In an interview with the finance website 'wealthsimple', the former welterweight (up to 77kg) and middleweight (up to 83,9kg) champion revealed his main tactics for negotiating new contracts with the company.

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“Negotiation can be like a game of chess. It was in 2008, two fights after becoming UFC world champion, my contract was ending. Other organizations wanted to have me as a 'poster boy' and the UFC knew that. So, like a poker bluff, I said, “I don’t want to re-sign before the fight – we just want to finish the contract.” I took a big risk. Because it's like a stock market. Your shares may rise if you succeed, but they may also fall if you lose. But that's what we decided to do. I always believed in myself, so we took a big risk”, revealed GSP.

For Canadians, however, just knowing how to negotiate is not enough. It is important, in a competitive sport like MMA, to bet on yourself to be even more successful in your career. He says that, as soon as he received a higher salary, he wanted to evolve his game and cites jiu-jitsu training in Brazil as crucial factors in building his legacy.

“Many athletes, when they start to earn money, spend their money on jewelry and costume jewelry. I did not do it. I spent money on myself to become better at what I do. I started traveling a lot. I went to Thailand because I wanted to train with the best Muay Thai fighter in the world. I went to Brazil and trained with the best Jiu-Jitsu fighter in the world. I went to Los Angeles, trained with Freddie Roach, who I consider the best boxing trainer in the world. You invest in yourself like a stock and it will give you a return in return. This will amplify your performance. If I had burned that money on jewelry, the sport would have caught up with me and I would never have had the career I had”, concluded the fighter.

Georges St-Pierre is considered one of the biggest names in MMA history. The former welterweight (up to 77kg) and middleweight (up to 83,9kg) champion had 28 fights as a professional, with 26 wins and two losses. The Canadian hasn't fought since November 2017, when he won Michael Bisping via submission at UFC 217 and won his second UFC title.