or someone widely considered one of the greatest fighters to ever live, Georges St-Pierre has a surprisingly complicated relationship with fighting itself. The former two-division UFC champion recently confessed that, despite his success inside the cage, he never truly enjoyed fighting and often battled with the emotional pressure that accompanied it.
In an interview with fellow MMA legend Demetrious Johnson, ‘GSP’ admitted that the fear of losing overshadowed most of his career.
“One of the reasons I never liked fighting, I never really liked it, is the first: you can get hurt,” he said. “But also it’s heartbreaking because, like, then all this for ending up losing; it’s just the feeling is terrible, it’s like terrible.
“But the winning is… Yeah, when you win everything, you feel like everything, all that sacrifice, was worth it.”
😳GSP says that he never liked fighting: "I never really liked it. First, you can get hurt, but also it's heartbreaking. It's like you have done all this for ending up losing. This feeling is terrible.But the winning is the highest. When you win you feel like everything, all Show more
It’s a shocking revelation from a man who ruled the welterweight division for years before retiring after winning the UFC middleweight title against Michael Bisping at UFC 217. However, long-time fans of Georges St-Pierre understand that this is not entirely new.
Throughout his career, the Hall of Famer repeatedly spoke about the anxiety, stress, and pressure that came with competition, despite looking almost untouchable inside the Octagon. And you know he’s speaking the truth when even Demetrious Johnson, who is considered by most as the greatest flyweight in MMA history, echoes similar feelings.
“Now being removed from it, I’m not the biggest fan just because of the financial aspect of it,” he told Georges St-Pierre. “But I think me fighting and like understanding like, ‘Hey, this is the problem. How can I figure this person out? I love that aspect of it.
“Like the IQ of it and the gamemanship of it. I love that. But like hurting somebody, hitting somebody—I never liked that.”
That honesty speaks volumes about two fighters who are often seen as near-perfect competitors. Fans usually associate champions with violence and chaos, but Georges St-Pierre and ‘Mighty Mouse’ described fighting as a mentally demanding puzzle rather than a passion for hurting people.
In many ways, their worldview may explain why they were so technically brilliant. They approached MMA as problem solvers, rather than brawlers. Even years after his retirement, ‘GSP’ continues to receive offers to compete in MMA, boxing, grappling, and wrestling events. However, it seems like the 44-year-old says he has no immediate plans to return.
Georges St-Pierre reveals his true intentions on returning back to action
This should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed Georges St-Pierre‘s career. Even at the height of his power, ‘Rush’ never chased chaos recklessly. Every battle, recovery, and career decision always felt meticulously planned. And now, years removed from competition, he seems to approach a potential return with that exact same mindset.
According to the UFC Hall of Famer, opportunities still show up on his doorstep constantly despite the fact that he hasn’t fought since 2017.
“I get requests maybe once or twice a month for either fighting in MMA, boxing, wrestling, grappling—whatever,” he told MMA Junkie. “I had another one for Hype. I just tweaked my back a few weeks ago, and I don’t know if it’s a disc or what it is.
“It’s a lot better than it was, but I won’t be able to compete this summer. Because also I’m also very busy. I’m not saying I’m never going to do it. Just right now, I’m starting this YouTube channel, and I have a lot of projects, and I want to be competing on my terms.”
At this point, that seems to be the key for the Hall of Famer. Georges St-Pierre is not fully shutting down the door on combat sports, but he isn’t looking willing to give up his peace, health, and freedom for the sake of competition.
The Canadian icon has made it clear that fighting is no longer at the center of his life. And, given how openly he admits that the sport has mentally exhausted him for years, it appears that Georges St-Pierre is finally enjoying something he rarely had during his championship run: control over his own life.
