Georges St-Pierre
Georges St-Pierre
Georges St-Pierre, often referred to as GSP, is a Canadian mixed martial artistand a three-time former Welterweight Champion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, having won the title twice in 2006 and 2008, as well as an Interim title in 2007. Frequently cited as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, St-Pierre was ranked as the #1 welterweight in the world for several years by Sherdog and numerous other publications. In 2008, 2009, and 2010 he was named the...
NationalityCanadian
ProfessionAthlete
Date of Birth19 May 1981
CountryCanada
I will never take the fact that I am Welterweight Champion for granted. I learnt my mistake in the past. No matter how great, no matter how people tell me how great I am, I'm always one mistake away from losing everything.
One of the keys to learning for me has been to not get so hung up on the past. It's important to remember the past, but that doesn't mean you have to torture yourself with it by reliving it every single day.
When I train, I love to take time off and fly to the Natural History Museum or an exhibition. I just love that. When you know your past, it will help you with your future… That’s why most of my friends are not fighters. Most of my friends are nerds like me. That’s why I have a hard time finding a girlfriend. I need someone to talk science with. I’m married to my work right now. But you never know. One day I could wake up and just do something different. Life is so unpredictable.
The more knowledge you get, the more questions you ask. The smarter you get, the more you realize that everything can be possible.
Everyone is a threat, and anyone can be beat at any given moment. No one is invincible.
Train smart at all times and do your best to avoid injury. Training smart is more important than training hard.
Respect is the most important thing. Be respectful toward others and have respect for yourself.
In fighting, in evolution, in life, efficiency is the key,
I try to protect my loved ones, the people I share my life with, because they don't have a public life like me. I want to keep their lives private out of respect for them.
People think athleticism is just physical, but it's not. It's connected to the brain and how the brain can learn to execute and see a movement or not. Especially at high speed. Being athletic is not just jumping and running and being powerful. It's the nervous system that guides the body. The muscles don't decide anything. The brain decides and makes things happen.
You think I was born rich? I've worked really hard. You have no idea.
It's not always the strong that survive. It takes brains, guts, tolerance and forward thinking.
One of the important lessons I learned from my parents is always to respect authority figures like teachers.
Nervous and scared is a good thing, it's your friend. You feel more on the edge, you feel like you're about to fall down the river, it's a good thing for me. I like that feeling.