UFC News and Rumors 2016: Georges St-Pierre Talks about Departure from Mixed Martial Arts
Georges St-Pierre will be known as one of the most-decorated fighters in MMA history, but his decision to leave the sport somehow left a big question mark for fans and fellow fighters. But in a recent interview, GSP may have revealed the real score.
Talking to Joe Buck on "Unbelievable," the Canadian two-time champion discussed in detail why he decided to leave the sport he has spent most of his life with, and his answer was a revelation. "The last two or three fights, I didn't have fun," he said. "I did it because I had to, not because I wanted to and I had too much pressure, too much criticism," he added, referring to the abrupt and surprising decision to quit the sport.
The 34-year-old MMA great also revealed that he is suffering from an obsessive-compulsive disorder and it was pretty difficult for him to be consumed by the need to become the best in the world. If he were to force himself fighting, he couldn't have a normal social life.
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But in spite of all the talk of him closing any possibility of a return, he may have shown some clues or signs in past interviews that he's not really closing any doors. But UFC president Dana White appears to be not interested. After all, the organization's head honcho felt betrayed when St-Pierre surprised everyone with the decision to take a hiatus from the sport. To recall, St-Pierre won a highly contested split decision against Johny Hendricks, only to vacate the title.
It's kind of ironic to think that when he first competed in MMA, he quickly became popular due to his obvious love for the sport and charisma in the ring. But after all those years of fighting, he no longer sees any kind of fun in it. It's hard to blame him, though; combat sports like mixed martial arts will take its toll on a fighter, no matter how deep his love for the sport is.
