The retired UFC double champ, welterweight GOAT, and candidate for overall greatest mixed martial artist of all time is joining the cast of “I Killed the Bear,” a new comedy from Jared Keeso, creator of cult hit Letterkenny and its spinoff, Shoresy.

Deadline was first to report news of GSP’s addition, and several others, to the cast of the show, which will stream on Crave TV in Canada (U.S. streaming rights have yet to be announced). Nickleback frontman Chad Kroeger, another notable Canadian star, is also set to appear.

The show centers on a family of showbiz bear wranglers who decide to make their current production their last, after 100 years in the business.

St-Pierre, who has appeared in productions including Kickboxer: Vengeance and The Cage, has mostly popped up in fighting-related fare. In 2014, however, he appeared under the Marvel banner, playing Batroc the Leaper in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. GSP would reprise that role for 2021’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, appearing in three episodes of the Disney+ show.

Comedy will be a new venture for the UFC Hall of Famer, however.

One of the most recognizable Canadian athletes in history, Georges St-Pierre finished his MMA career with a record of 26-2, with notable wins over Michael Bisping (to win gold at middleweight, after which GSP retired), Matt Hughes, Matt Serra, Nick Diaz, Carlos Condit, B.J. Penn, and a host of others. He retired having avenged both his losses, and holds the record for most successful consecutive title defenses in UFC welterweight history at nine.

The post Georges St-Pierre Cast in “I Killed the Bear,” New Comedy from Letterkenny Creator appeared first on Cageside Press.

That quote comes from the #4 ranked UFC women’s flyweight, Erin Blanchfield, who is set to headline UFC Vegas 107 against #5 ranked Maycee Barber. With major contender implications on the line, this main event carries serious weight in the division. We caught up with “Cold Blooded” on Din Thomas’ FightCourt podcast to talk about the matchup, as well as the training mindset that’s helped fuel her rise in the UFC.

Blanchfield’s approach is subtle but often overlooked—and it may be a key reason we’re seeing fewer finishes across the board in MMA today.

Even though MMA has largely consolidated around five or six core martial arts, becoming a complete fighter still demands a deep commitment to learning and development. Too often, fighters try to cover all bases at once and end up training with a “broad strokes” mentality. This leads to a lack of detail and depth—resulting in fewer fight-ending techniques and more decisions.

Discipline-specific training not only builds confidence in a fighter’s offense, but also sharpens their defense through repetition. When a fighter like Blanchfield goes up against someone who trains broadly but without precision, the gap in skill becomes too great to overcome.

And the numbers back it up. Since 2022, the finish rate in the UFC women’s flyweight division has dropped to just 30.7%. Meanwhile, Erin holds a finish rate of about 46%, including a statement submission win over former champion Jessica Andrade.

I’ve seen this lesson play out in my own career—on both ends. With a strong wrestling background, my hands were awful early on. I trained boxing only because I had to, half-heartedly trying to double-leg whoever was holding mitts, and maybe throwing a wild left hook here and there. That approach earned me more than a few rough sparring sessions with the likes of Jorge Masvidal and Dustin Poirier—and a few losses that still sting to this day.

Eventually, I got serious about my striking. You’d think that was the turning point, right? Wrong.

I shifted focus again—now spending less time on wrestling and more on jiu-jitsu, boxing, and kickboxing. But a person only has so much bandwidth. I became decent at everything, great at nothing. My wrestling regressed, and I was getting taken down by guys who had no business doing it.

I’ll never forget when King Mo pulled me aside and said, “You’re vanilla, bro.”

Once I returned to training with intention and embraced my identity as a wrestler, everything clicked. I became more precise, more confident, and much harder to deal with in every phase.

One of Erin’s favorite fighters to study was a master of this philosophy—arguably the most well-rounded mixed martial artist of all time: Georges St-Pierre.

“I really like watching Georges St-Pierre,” Erin Blanchfield said. “He tied everything together so well. I just love how he flowed.”

GSP was known for developing each weapon deliberately—wrestling, grappling, boxing, kickboxing, even karate—and using them seamlessly. His early UFC run was filled with finishes and showed what true, discipline-focused training could produce. That’s the kind of film study that clearly informs Blanchfield’s game, and it’s something I highly recommend for any young fighter or newer fan. Get on UFC Fight Pass and watch “Rush” work.

Erin “Cold Blooded” Blanchfield has a rock-solid foundation that’s taking her far in the UFC. Her mindset and training habits are a blueprint that rising fighters—and sharp fans—should take note of. She also made it clear that her sights are set on gold.

“That’s the plan,” she told us about her title aspirations.

And remember…

“A jack of all trades is a master of none.”

For a look at the full conversation see “Din Thomas’ FightCourt” Episode with Erin here.

The post Erin Blanchfield Credits Specific Training, Studies Legend for Inspiration appeared first on Cageside Press.

Speaking to fans and media outlets in attendance ahead of UFC 315, the first Quebec based UFC event in a decade, GSP explained that he and his peers very often see “athletes that perform very well in the gym. But when the lights are on and it’s time to pull the trigger, they crumble.”

And that, explained the Canadian GOAT, is because fear “can crush you if you don’t know how to deal with it.”

St-Pierre’s own approach, however, was to take that fear and use it. “I use fear to elevate me. I know when I’m afraid that I train harder in the fear that my opponent is getting more ready when I am. I know that when I’m afraid, I know that my reaction time is better. I know that I don’t cut corners, I’m sharp, because I’m afraid to underperform. So you need to use fear in a positive way, and the way you do it is with the preparation. And if you prepare well, you build up your confidence, and with confidence, you have the right to walk into a fight with faith in yourself.”

“Fear will always be there, but it’s a good thing my friend,” St-Pierre told the fan who had posed the original question.

During Friday’s session, Georges St-Pierre, who has dabbled in acting since leaving MMA behind him, also addressed the question of just which opponent he had the toughest time preparing for in his career.

“I would say the best guy I fought in terms of skill was B.J. Penn. His nickname was ‘The Prodigy,’ because he was the first American to become a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belt champion, I think in like three years and a half,” explained GSP. “He was a real prodigy, at the time he was like the perfect fighter. He was so fast. I remember the first time I fought him, I threw a jab, and I used to be very fast. And when I threw that jab, he was behind me.”

“I was like ‘what the hell, this guy just teleported himself?’ He was incredibly fast, incredibly skilled, and very hard to deal with,” St-Pierre admitted.

St-Pierre holds two wins over Penn, in 2006 and 2009.

The post Georges St-Pierre Names B.J. Penn His Toughest Foe appeared first on Cageside Press.

Sam Alvey picks up win at Karate Combat

The man with the million dollar smile, “Smile’n” Sam Alvey, has now won two straight fights in combat sports.

After ending his UFC career on an 0-8-1 skid unheard of for a fighter who never held gold, Alvey got back in the win column earlier this year, winning a heavyweight fight on the regional scene. Then, on Saturday, he picked up a win in Karate Combat, the striking-based promotion that has recently made headlines.

Check it out below.

https://twitter.com/KarateCombat/status/1703207707254145294

GSP to be Inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame

UFC Hall of Fame member Georges St-Pierre, who won welterweight and middleweight gold and retired with zero unavenged losses, is about to be a two-time Hall of Famer. That’s because he’s set to be inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

The announcement was made at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec earlier this month. The Sports Hall of Fame has honored over 700 notable Canadians, but has been a virtual-only institution since the pandemic. As a result, its collection of artifacts was moved to the Museum of History for conservation.

GSP, meanwhile, will be in action later this year. Though retired from MMA, he’s set for a grappling match at the UFC Fight Pass Invitational, against an opponent yet to be announced.

Henry Cejudo’s sister, Gloria, passes away after cancer battle

Some tragic news emerged late last week, as former UFC double champ Henry Cejudo announced that his older sister, Gloria, had passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Cejudo posted a heart-felt message on social media honoring the 41-year old, who passed on September 15.

“My older sister has been battling cancer for the last two years. I’ve never seen someone fight for their life like her. She played so many roles in my life including being my second mom. The most selfless person I have ever met. Thank you for teaching me about unconditional love. No more pain and suffering, rejoice with our Heavenly Father. Have those peaches in heaven you always wanted. Te amo y te quiero mucho mi hermana linda. Como te extraño. See you soon hermana ❤️ Gloria Nelly Cejudo.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CxO26z0xZUV/

Regional fighter calls out Chris Curtis, gets immediate, heated response in cage

There appears to be some history to this one. Following his win at Tuff-N-Uff 133 on Friday, Ayadi Majdeddine called out Chris Curtis, saying he would fight him at welterweight were he in the UFC.

Curtis, who was on commentary cageside, did not take kindly to those words, and entered the cage to unleash a tirade at the little-known fighter. “Look here you f*cking muppet. I was courteous today, so I didn’t drag your head off the concrete like I should have. Watch your f*cking mouth.” Being escorted from the cage, Curtis added “I’m not the one you want. I will bury you and your little dog, boy.”

As for the background, it appears words were exchanged months back. In multiple posts to social media, Curtis explained that “This was a big issue a few months ago. It’s been on sight since,” and that Majdeddine had been “run out” of their gym. As to why, “This dude has harassed and threatened me, my family my coaches and a slew of women out here. F*ck how people take it. I told him before what it was. Don’t try to come apologize to my face then do this bullshit. Nah my Guy, does not fly here.”

“You don’t threaten me and my family and then apologize behind closed doors before pulling this shit. Nah my guy. You beat a cab driver. Not impressed,” Curtis also wrote on social media. “All that talking is gonna get you hurt.”

Chris Curtis did not let that slide 🤣 #TNU133 pic.twitter.com/1wY9PYHgAs

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) September 16, 2023

The post Sunday MMA Quick Hits: Curtis Beefs with Tuff-N-Uff Fighter, Alvey Wins at Karate Combat appeared first on Cageside Press.

Is it BJJ or Pro Wrestling?

Remember the time when a jiu-jitsu competitor powerbombed his opponent through a table? No, Pepperidge Farms doesn’t remember, because Pepperidge Farms has nothing to do with BJJ. But we remember, thanks to the Twitter user below.

Pretty sure this isn’t a legal type of defense in most BJJ tournaments, but what is even more wild is, the victim here gets up and walks back to the mat like nothing happened.

Per a report by MMA Fighting, the competition in question was the July 1 Jiu Jitsu World League event.

Some dude at a BJJ competition powerbombed his opponent through the announce table lmao pic.twitter.com/vKhpAdLCJQ

— MixingMartialArts (@RyanAWagMMA) July 3, 2023

Elon Musk trains with GSP

Elon Musk has become something of an attention seeker since taking over Twitter, and the pointless “Musk vs. Zuck” fight that should never happen between himself and rival Mark Zuckerberg has become an easy way for the Tesla and Space X chief to stay in the spotlight. For something other than Twitter’s tedious push to bilk users of $8 a month, anyway.

With Dana White hawking t-shirts for the fight no one asked for and “MMA Twitter” lining up to take sides, Musk got some training in with none other than Georges St-Pierre recently. The verdict? Musk says he needs more training.

Musk and Zuck probably need to figure out the whole weight class issue as well, given most commissions these days don’t go for openweight. Possible options: fight in Japan, where openweight still flies, or compete in an exhibition bout, which would amount to a sparring match.

Or better yet, don’t do this at all.

Really fun! The obvious conclusion is that I need a *lot* more training.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 3, 2023

Chito Vera believes Sean O’Malley “Shouldn’t Be a Problem” for Aljamain Sterling

“If you see accolades and who fought who, the fight shouldn’t be a problem for Sterling.”

So says Marlon “Chito” Vera, who appeared on The MMA Hour (h/t MMA Fighting) this past week to discuss, among other things, Sean O’Malley’s upcoming shot at bantamweight gold against Aljamain Sterling.

In short, Vera seems to think that O’Malley’s resume doesn’t pass muster. For a more detailed explanation, well, read on.

“O’Malley can say whatever the f*ck he wants to say – the two guys that have been in the top-five that beat him, me was one and I beat him – I put him out,” Vera said. “Pedro Munhoz, been around, and he’s a top-five caliber guy – [O’Malley] poked him in the eye, and it was a no-contest, and he didn’t show anything. You get opportunity to fight somebody like that, you try to go and smoke him.

“The B-level competition, yeah, he put all of them out. Almeida was washed a lot of times. He wasn’t washed up – he was super washed up. Eddie Wineland, respect to the guy, he’s a legend, but I mean he got killed, what, four more times or three more times. Then the green-haired kid [Kris Moutinho] couldn’t wanna fight the UFC.”

Cris Lencioni takes first steps in ongoing recoveryy

Bellator vet Cris Lencioni’s tragic near-fatal medical emergency last month has left the fighter with apparent brain damage, and a massive amount of physiotherapy waits ahead of him.

This past week, the fighter took his first steps since going into cardiac arrest during a training session.

Cris Lencioni took his first steps on Sunday since being hospitalized and suffering brain damage as the result of the heart attack on June 8.

The latest on Lencioni from @MMAFightingSM 📰 https://t.co/TyeGcNEByL pic.twitter.com/fx39QPvwla

— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) July 4, 2023

You can help with Lencioni’s recovery by pitching in via GoFundMe. Or alternately pick up one of this Lencioni tees, with proceeds also going to the recovery effort.

Did Conor McGregor just reveal his return date?

Conor McGregor is known to be an active tweeter during big UFC events, and that was certainly the case with UFC 290. McGregor had plenty to say, but the most interesting part might be his response to a fan asking for his return date.

One word: December.

Of course, it was a tweet and delete, but here’s a screenshot:

That would make sense, given Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic was just announced for UFC 295 in November. That card will take place in New York City, with December’s UFC 296 going down at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Of course, a December date would require McGregor to receive an exemption from the six-month testing period required by USADA for fighters returning to the testing pool, which McGregor withdrew from while healing the leg he broke in a fight with Dustin Poirier in 2021.

An exemption, however, is within the UFC’s power to grant. And it is the UFC, not USADA, who has final say in the matter.

Respect

Dan Hooker and Jalin Turner had an all-out war at UFC 290, but still managed to take a selfie, all smiles, in the hospital afterwards.

Hespec pic.twitter.com/h4U3TLj2rK

— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) July 9, 2023

The post Sunday MMA Quick Hits: McGregor Reveals Return Date? Plus Musk Trains with GSP appeared first on Cageside Press.

Anik was on hand Thursday for the UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and fielded questions on a variety of topics — including the recently announced George St-Pierre grappling match at the UFC Fight Pass Invitational later this year.

While no opponent has been announced for GSP, one that comes to mind for Anik is Khabib Nurmagoemdov. “I think that makes a lot of sense,” Anik told media outlets including Cageside Press on Thursday. “We’ll see if Khabib has the appetite for that.”

As for the match itself, “I think it would be competitive, I really do,” suggested Anik. “I just wonder how Khabib would handle the preparation. We know Georges St-Pierre is training 24/7 365. I think it would be interesting to see what weight class they would compete in. I think it would be competitive, I don’t know if either guy finishes the other, but I would pay to watch.”

Of late, former Invicta fighter and commentator Laura Sanko has been working her way up the UFC’s broadcast ranks. Anik had high praise for Sanko, and believes she could find herself on a UFC Pay-Per-View soon.

“It would be amazing. She’s added so much to our broadcast team, particularly when it comes to her jiu-jitsu analytics,” said Anik. “For me, as a guy who never wants to put on a Gi again, the most valuable thing for me to have in a booth is a jiu-jitsu expert. And I think already, she is one of our elite, best grappling analysts just in terms of being able to simplify what is inherently complicated and break down everything that is happening on the ground.”

“So I think she’s already added a lot, and you might see her next to me sooner than you think.”

The post UFC: Jon Anik Thinks Khabib Makes Sense for GSP Grappling Match, If He Has Appetite For It appeared first on Cageside Press.

A member of the UFC Hall of Fame himself, GSP is years removed from his final fight, which saw him claim middleweight gold in 2017. But he has remained in the gym, in the spotlight, and will return in a grappling contest at the UFC Fight Pass Invitational later this year.

In the meantime, the Canadian great shed some light on what training with Elon Musk recently was like.

“He’s very strong, much stronger than the average man. And he’s very tough,” St-Pierre told media outlets including Cageside Press on the red carpet on Thursday, ahead of the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. “Elon, when he puts his mind and energy into something, he’s almost unstoppable.”

The always diplomatic St-Pierre wasn’t about to comment on whether he would join Threads, a new Twitter-like app that has sparked a rivalry between Musk, Twitter’s new owner, and Facebook/Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg, who appears to be looking to submit Elon in the social media game.

“I’m not part of that trash talk thing and I don’t want to be part of it,” GSP said. “I let Elon know that if he needs me, I will be there to help him if he needs.”

The trash talk between Musk and Zuckerberg online has led to talk of an actual fight, with Dana White already selling t-shirts for a bout that will probably (and should definitely) never happen.

Speaking of trash talk, St-Pierre told Cageside Press just why he never engaged in it throughout his storied career.

“I think you need to be authentic, and you don’t need to trash talk if it’s not your personality,” St-Pierre stated. “You have to realize that English is not my first language. If you go back more than a decade ago, my English was not the best. It’s still not great, but it got better over the years.”

“I choose my battles carefully. I know if I go into a trash talk contest with someone who speaks perfect English, I’m going to lose. Also because I’m just not good at it. So I decided to focus my energy on the most important thing, what I do in the octagon.”

You can see more of Georges St-Pierre at this year’s UFC Hall of Fame ceremony above.

The post Georges St-Pierre Says He’s Not Part of Twitter/Threads Trash Talk, but Will Be There for Elon Musk appeared first on Cageside Press.

The UFC made the announcement on Thursday.

St-Pierre last competed in the promotion in 2017 when he defeated them champion Michael Bisping for the middleweight title at UFC 217.

Since then he’s been all over the martial arts scene training with John Danaher’s Death Squad that includes the likes of Gordon Ryan who GSP considers as the greatest grappler of all time. He’s also made appearances at Karate Combat among other promotions.

He now returns to the UFC as part of the Fight Pass Invitational.

What drove GSP to the FIGHT PASS Invitational mat?! pic.twitter.com/wFYmpTfiSb

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) July 6, 2023

St-Pierre said he’s been feeling the itch of competition lately, and at 42-years-old, the best way for him to compete is in grappling.

“I’m 42-years-old…because I felt at the end when I retired I was training, but I like the kick of competition, you know,” St-Pierre told Brendan Fitzgerald in front of a crowd at the T-Mobile Arena during the special announcement on Thursday.

“I’d like to get it back. I’d like to feel the adrenaline again.”

No word on who potential opponents will be or if he will be part of a tournament at the event.

The post Georges St-Pierre To Compete At UFC Fight Pass Invitational In December appeared first on Cageside Press.

Most fight fans readily agreed.

That comes as no surprise really. MMA is a sport where fans and, regrettably, pundits care more about what an athlete has done lately than their overall body of work. It’s a sport with an awfully short memory, and a very fast life cycle: an “era” in MMA is lucky to stretch past a couple of years. Just ask Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida.

To be fair, labels such as GOAT and this or that era are more the creation of promotions and media than they are of the fighters themselves. But the idea of the “greatest of all time” or GOAT for short has been long been latched onto by fighters.

Prior to becoming Muhammad Ali, the then Cassius Clay released a spoken world album in 1963 entitled “I Am The Greatest.” Ali’s wife Lonnie incorporated G.O.A.T Inc. in the 90s to handle the boxing legend’s business affairs. From there, rapper LL Cool J popularized the acronym be titling his 2000 LP “G.O.A.T.” — later admitting that Ali had been the inspiration.

In the MMA sphere, GOAT is used, and overused quite frankly, to describe the best in a division as well as the best overall. Welterweight GOAT, heavyweight GOAT, actual GOAT — it’s essentially a bar room debate, and given that, mixed with MMA’s short memory, often times a particularly pointless one.

Case in point, Stipe Miocic is frequently referred to as the heavyweight GOAT, based on holding the UFC’s title defense record — at three successful title defenses. Miocic’s resume is strong, but it’s certainly not as impressive as Fedor Emelianenko’s was during his prime — an era when the bulk of the world’s best heavyweights, Randy Couture aside, were fighting outside the UFC.

UFC diehards, however, use Emelianenko’s late-career struggles and the fact that he never came to terms on a deal with Zuffa to discount him from the debate.

But pointless squabbles and tribalism aside, there’s some merit to declaring an all-time great: it gives the next generation something to shoot for. The NBA had Michael Jordan, who became the measuring stick of sorts for LeBron James. The NHL had Wayne Gretzky, an unbelievably talented prospect saddled with the label “The Great One” from the time he was 10 years old. For generations since, he’s been the gold standard as the Sidney Crosbys and Alex Ovechkins of the world chased his legacy.

In MMA, the argument in recent years has come down to two names: Jon Jones, and Georges St-Pierre. Both were dominant champions who fought all the best names of their era. Both were massive stars inside and outside of the octagon. Both took extended hiatuses from the sport, then returned to the UFC, moved up in weight, and captured a second title in a new weight class: GSP at middleweight, and now Jones at heavyweight.

It’s Jones move to heavyweight and submission of Ciryl Gane that has many claiming the GOAT debate is settled. And one day soon, it may be. But not just yet.

What Jones has done is essentially replicate what St-Pierre did before him. There have been other dual-weight champions, including “Bones'” rival Daniel Cormier (who held two titles simultaneously), and Randy Couture, but only GSP and Jones have taken multi-year layoffs, come back, moved up — and captured gold again.

There are those who would discredit St-Pierre’s feat by claiming Michael Bisping was a weak champion. That not only discredits Bisping, who defeated Luke Rockhold on short notice to win the belt, it discredits all those names that Bisping defeated in his heyday: Rockhold, Anderson Silva, Alan Belcher, Yoshiro Akiyama, Chris Leben, and even Dan Henderson (in the rematch anyway). Is a submission of Gane that much more impressive than a submission of Bisping, especially given Gane’s struggles in the grappling department?

I’ve intentionally left out Jones’ many “asterisks” to this point. Whether you choose to hold his many failed drug tests against him or not is up to you. If you do, it probably discredits Jones from the GOAT argument entirely. That would also discount Anderson Silva, frankly.

But on pure in-cage accomplishments, Jon Jones and George St-Pierre essentially stand alone, with arguably Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson a close third. Jones has only one loss, a DQ against Matt Hamill. St-Pierre avenged the only two losses he ever suffered, and beat those names so badly it wasn’t remotely close. Jones struggled in his last two fights at light heavyweight, against Thiago Santos and Dominick Reyes. St-Pierre struggled in his own final fight at welterweight, against Johnny Hendricks.

Jones, a wrestler, excelled at beating opponents at their own game. St-Pierre, not a wrestler, had the best wrestling in MMA during his heyday — and often beat opponents at their own game as well. Jones has the edge in defeating former champions, but that’s in part because the light heavyweight title was a hot potato before “Bones” came along. Prior to GSP, Matt Hughes and B.J. Penn were the only fighters to hold the title since Carlos Newton in 2001.

St-Pierre beat both of them twice.

There’s one thing Jones can do that Georges St-Pierre did not, however: defend that second title. In a race so close, that will be what puts an end to the GOAT debate. Jones will get his chance, likely against Stipe Miocic later this year. And then, with a win, he can settle this.

Until some new phenom comes along, anyway.

The post Jon Jones the Undisputed GOAT? Not Yet, But Soon appeared first on Cageside Press.

With MMA legalized just a few short years ago, the promotion finally touches down on French soil for UFC Paris on Saturday, with Ciryl Gane and Tai Tuivasa headlining the card.

While GSP is not from France, the Canadian is a native French speaker, and the most famous French fighter in UFC history — not to mention combat sports history period.

“I wish I had been able to fight in Paris. Unfortunately, the sport wasn’t legal at the time,” GSP told French fans on Friday, before fielding numerous questions from media members and others in attendance.

The big questions being asked of the man many consider the Greatest of All Time were who he considered the GOAT to be — and who would be on his MMA Mount Rushmore.

When it comes to the greatest, it was not himself, nor anyone from his own era, that St-Pierre replied with. Rather, it was the man who started it all.

“I believe the GOAT is Royce Gracie, because he has done stuff in the sport that I believe will never be done again,” GSP stated. “He was fighting at the time that there was no weight class. The sport was unknown. The rules were different. It took immense courage to compete at that time. So for me, the GOAT is Royce Gracie.”

The Gracie family helped found the UFC, with Royce winning the UFC 1, 2, and 4 tournaments in the 1990s.

That having been said, St-Pierre admitted that today’s MMA landscape would likely have passed Gracie by. “Of course if you take Royce Gracie and try to put him in the octagon nowadays, the sport has changed so much over the years, he might not look as good as he was. Of course not. So if you’re asking ‘who is the GOAT?’ the real answer is, the GOAT is not even born yet, because athletes get better with time. So the best athletes are still coming.”

Later, a fan asked for St-Pierre to choose his “UFC Mount Rushmore.” That was a little tougher for the welterweight great and UFC Hall of Famer.

“I put Royce Gracie first— First of all, just to make sure, Mount Rushmore is four? Four or five? Four right?” That is right, but GSP couldn’t keep it to four.

“Royce Gracie. I would put Royce Gracie because he did stuff at the beginning that nobody had ever done. I’m going to cheat, because I have to put more than four. I would put Amanda Nunes already, even though she has not retired yet. But she’s the best female fighter that’s ever lived, I believe.”

“I would put Khabib, because he had a perfect career. Undefeated. An incredible career,” St-Pierre continued. “I would put Conor McGregor also because he brought the sport to the a different level. I would put Jon Jones and Anderson Silva and Demetrious Johnson, because of their performance.”

A great list, countered the fan who asked the original question — but missing a name. Georges St-Pierre himself.

The post Georges St-Pierre Lists His UFC Mt. Rushmore, but Royce Gracie Trumps All appeared first on Cageside Press.