Georges St-Pierre is one of the greatest of all time for many reasons.
Most professional athletes Dream only to go out in mind in their sportBut the Canadian icon, St-Pierre, lived it, winning titles in two divisions, then withdrawing as a champion of average weights of the UFC.
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Unfortunately, the most common result is that the fighters remain after their expiration date and find themselves on the wrong side of some bad beats. At UFC Kansas City last Saturday, for example, Contents of Light Light Trucks Anthony Smith described him as a career after a brutal first round defeat against Zhang Mingyang.
But as St-Pierre pointed out, Smith has not yet finished fighting. This is because the fight with yourself once the realities of the retirement is greater than any battle inside the octagon, according to the former champion.
“The temptation (to come back) is still there, but there is always something that you cannot beat – it's time,” said St -Pierre “The Ariel Helwani Show from Non-Couronne”. “Everything we have in this world is (time). Sooner or later we are going to lose it. Anyway, materialism, we think:” Oh, I build my inheritance. “Yes, people remember me now.
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“It's good as a fighter because you want this pride, you want this ego to wear you because it helps you succeed. But when you retire, you have to learn to dissociate yourself from it. And that's what I have worked since I get back. It is very, very hard, and there are a lot of guys who, they don't know when they can't beat time.
“It makes me sad when I see guys, and they spoiled their health,” continued St-Pierre. “Because when you retire, you have another half of your life to live. It is therefore important that you remain as healthy as you can. And also, if you retire on a sequence of victories, they tell you to pass the torch.
Georges St-Pierre did things throughout his MMA career. (Brandon Magnus / Zuffa LLC / Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
(Brandon Magnus via Getty Images)
Under the microscope, it could be said that St-Pierre was released twice above his career. Before “Rush” made its long-awaited debut on medium-sized weights to challenge Michael Bisping for Gold UFC in 2017, St-Pierre had interrupted in 2013 and left the Welters weight crown he held for years. St-Pierre built his heritage in the 170 pound division, but external factors and injuries were finally accumulated to force the Canadian's decision.
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The second time, St-Pierre has faced another large choice, and he listened to the voices that all the fighters are fighting. Eight years later, he still hears them.
“When I retired, it was because I was, at the time, if you come back, after having bisping, I got an ulcerative colitis and I had symptoms,” said St-Pierre. “I was under heavy drugs. I didn't want to keep the title for too long because my respect, not only my colleagues, but my competitors (who) try to get the title. So I gave up the title because I did not know what was going to happen. Then, I did.
“There will always be in the bottom of my mind,” oh, if I come back, I think I can beat him, I think yes. “But it's my pride that speaks.