In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Georges St-Pierre offered a rare glimpse into what drives him years after his legendary MMA career ended. The former two-division UFC champion, widely regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, revealed that his dedication to training continues not for competition, but for something far more personal.
“I do it now not to be the strongest fighter in the world. I do it more for the therapeutic use. And it helps me be a better person,” he explained. “I do fasting. I do all these training because it makes me feel good. It’s very therapeutic for me. It’s a way of living.”
The Canadian icon emphasized that his approach to fitness has evolved beyond the competitive realm.
“I’m a martial artist. I don’t train because I have a competition. I train because I love it and it helps me be better in my own skin.”
Host Ariel Helwani didn’t hesitate to praise GSP as the greatest of all time, citing his clean record, championship success at two weight classes, and graceful retirement. While GSP characteristically deflected the praise, noting that “it’s very subjective” and mentioning other greats like Demetrius Johnson and his personal pick, Royce Gracie, the conversation inevitably turned to current heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
Regarding Jones’ situation with potential challenger Tom Aspinall, GSP offered a nuanced perspective:
“If it’s for a negotiation tactics with the UFC, that’s, you know, you have to it’s a chess game. But if you do it just because you want to hold hold back everything and it’s it’s it’s an ego thing, this is not okay.”
GSP emphasized the importance of keeping opportunities available for rising contenders, drawing from his own experience with champions who gave him his chance.
GSP’s retirement stands as a masterclass in how to leave the sport. After defeating Michael Bisping for the middleweight title in 2017, he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Rather than holding the division hostage while dealing with his health issues, he immediately relinquished the belt.
“I could have held the belt if I wanted to,” GSP reflected, “but I didn’t want to hold the the division because it was I knew it was a lot of young contenders and I knew I could stay with the belt and parad with the belt and get all the money to sponsor for a year, but I didn’t want to do that because it would have put the division on hold.”
One of the most intriguing revelations was GSP’s account of a potential superfight with Khabib Nurmagomedov. According to GSP, the UFC initially didn’t want to risk disrupting Khabib’s momentum. Later, after both fighters had retired, Dana White approached GSP about the possibility, but when GSP contacted Khabib’s manager Ali Abdelaziz, he was told it wasn’t true.
“There there’s only one way to find out” who would have won,
GSP said with a smile, acknowledging that fans will forever wonder about this dream matchup.
GSP remains an active observer of current talent, particularly praising fighters like Rob Whittaker (who broke his takedown record), Tom Aspinall, and rising star Aiemann Zahabi, whom he cornered in Montreal. His assessment of Zahabi was particularly insightful:
“I would say Aiemann his biggest strength. It’s his fight IQ… His ability to transform himself into the perfect nemesis of his opponent.”
Today’s GSP maintains his legendary discipline but with more flexibility. While he still does multi-day water fasts and intense training sessions, he’s also comfortable enjoying life. He admitted to getting “pretty drunk” at a recent Grand Prix Montreal event, joking,
“I just do whatever the hell I want, but I I burned it the next day.”
