The New Breed - Georges St. Pierre

MMA Sport issue 12 interview exclusive with Georges St. Pierre

At 5’10”, 170lbs, his incredible build, amazing skills and gentlemen personality are some of the features that make Georges St. Pierre the perfect Mixed Martial Artist. He is what you would call...The New Breed.

MMA Sports: Congratulations on your dominating performance against Matt Serra at UFC 83, what are your thoughts on the fight?
GSP: Well, I’m very happy to have won – and I thank Matt Serra for agreeing to fight me in Montreal & help make it happen.

MMA Sports: You got your belt back, how did it feel to fight and win in Montreal?
GSP: It was a dream come true to get back the belt in front of my hometown. The crowd was unbelievable, even louder than the hockey games.

MMA Sports: Your hometown, did you feel a lot of pressure riding on you?
GSP: Of course, but I thrive under pressure. I have a lot of people surrounding me that help me out.

MMA Sports: Do you think he underestimated you because of your previous fight?
GSP: I can’t speak for him, but Serra is a professional and he always shows up prepared for a battle.

MMA Sports: Did you have a game plan going into the fight?
GSP: Yes – and I’m glad because I couldn’t hear my corners during the fight. My strategy was to either be out of his range or to be in so close that I could use my strength and size against him.

MMA Sports: All the trash, hype and talk between the two of you, did that help you prepare for the fight and during the fight?
GSP: Not really – I fight with my heart, not my anger. If you fight with anger, it can actually get in your way.

MMA Sports: What have you been doing since the fight?
GSP: I took a few days off with my team down in the Bahamas, and I’ve been doing some appearances to benefit the GSP Foundation that I just started. Also, I’ve been helping my training partners prepare for their upcoming fights, and I’m back in the gym training myself.

MMA Sports: When you are focused, you are truly an amazing fighter, do you think there is anyone in the UFC that can match you when are focused and 100 percent?
GSP: There are a lot of great fighters in the UFC – of course, no one is invincible, but I promise my fans they’ll always see the best Georges St-Pierre whenever I fight.

MMA Sports: Let’s talk about Anderson Silva, what goes through your mind when you hear that name?
GSP: I have a lot of respect for Anderson Silva - I think he’s a powerful striker and he has a lot of weapons he can use.

MMA Sports: There’s a lot of talk between fans on forums of that dream match between you and Anderson Silva, I would definitely love to see it, what are your thoughts on that fight?
GSP: I want to fight the best fighters, and many think he is the best pound for pound fighter in the world. So I think it would be a battle, we would both bring our “A-Game” and at the end of the night, the best fighter would win.

MMA Sports: Would you consider moving up weight to fight Anderson Silva?
GSP: I never say “never” – perhaps if the pathway were clear, but right now, a lot of my training partners compete in the UFC at 185, and there’s also a lot of competition in the welterweight division that I need to focus on.

MMA Sports: If he agreed to the fight, what would it take for you to accept the fight?
GSP: A few different scenarios have been talked about – but right now, it’s too soon to tell.

MMA Sports: What are your predictions on a fight between you and Anderson Silva?
GSP: Of course, I always go into a fight believing that I will be the winner – but it would be an exciting fight for the fans.

MMA Sports: You’re the best 170lb MMA fighter in the world. Have we seen the best of Georges St. Pierre or do you just keep getting better?
GSP: I think I still have a lot of room to improve in certain areas, so hopefully, I keep getting better.

MMA Sports: Any final words?
GSP: I just want to thank my fans for all their support over the last year – especially right after I lost. I also want to thank my team of coaches & trainers for preparing me for each fight and my manager for taking care of everything else so I can focus on fighting. And finally, I want to thank my sponsor Affliction Clothing for their support.