Georges St-Pierre is considered one of, if not the best mixed martial artist of all-time, yet, he doesn’t think fighting is the best career path.
St-Pierre competed from 2002 until 2013 and returned for one fight in 2017 and fought 28 times as a pro. Although he made a ton of money and fame from his career, he says his advice to younger fighters is to retire.
“A lot of them, my advice would be, ‘Hey bro, you should hang up your gloves and find a real job. Because I’ve seen this movie, and it’s not a good ending, my friend.’” St-Pierre said on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast (via LowKick MMA). “But if I tell them the truth, they get mad at me. … [They say], ‘He’s jealous and he’s arrogant.”
Part of the reason why Georges St-Pierre wants younger fighters to retire is to the damage they take. Although the Canadian believes he is in good health, he isn’t sure how damaged his brain is. He has also seen several of his peers’ careers end due to training incidents because of their health.
“I could be brain damaged, but so far, I think I’m good,” St-Pierre said. “I see guys sparring and they lose a lot of brain cells. I believe the best way to improve is when it’s playful. It’s crazy how many guys I’ve seen that have left their careers in the gyms because they spar too hard.”
Although St-Pierre does want younger fighters to retire, the sport of MMA is only getting more popular, so there will only be more fighters. However, the hope is they treat their bodies right so they don’t need to retire due to injuries, and can rather retire because they please.
What do you make of Georges St-Pierre telling younger fighters to retire?
