Georges St. Pierre is a bonafide UFC legend. The French-Canadian fighter from Quebec has been making a name for himself in the realm of acting lately with appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but that doesn’t mean UFC fans have forgotten about his incredible accomplishments.
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While he has been rather open about his career and the hardships he faced throughout that career, there is still plenty of things that the average GSP fan may not be aware of. With a fight career that spanned well over a decade, it’s safe to say that there’s plenty to learn about one of the all-time great welterweights.
8 He Avenged Both Of His Losses
When a fighter suffers a loss, it can be a hard thing to come back from. There’s no telling exactly what happens in someone’s head when they lose a fight, but some fighters are changed forever.
In the entirety of his UFC career, GSP only lost twice, once to Matt Hughes and once to Matt Serra. In both instances, GSP not only came back swinging but went on to dominate both of his opponents in the middle of the octagon in just two quick rounds.
7 He Was A Two Division Champion
Rising to the top of one division in the UFC is already tough enough, but rising to the top of two seems near impossible. GSP was the kind of competitor that thrived in difficult situations and, as such, became one of the few people able to call themselves a two-division champion.
He won his first title as a welterweight against Matt Hughes in his second attempt at the belt. Years later, GSP would take on Michael Bisping for the Middleweight Championship in what would become GSP's final match. By the end of the match, GSP had become a two-division champion.
6 Most Wins In The Welterweight Division
The welterweight division has been among the most competitive divisions in the history of the UFC. Any fan of GSP knows that he dominated the division for years, and that domination becomes clear when people learn just how many wins he obtained.
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During his time in the welterweight division, GSP managed to pick up 19 wins over some of the toughest competition the division had to offer. His record still stands to this day, and it’s not looking likely that it will be broken anytime soon.
5 He's A Multi-Discipline Black Belt
GSP demonstrates his self-discipline and perseverance through his martial arts accomplishments. It’s hard enough for the average person to master one style of fighting, but GSP isn’t the average person. Training since he was a boy, George St-Pierre has become a black belt in both Kyokushin karate and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
His mastery of each became clear every time he entered the octagon with how quickly he would overwhelm most opponents. Through the years he’s diversified his skill set through boxing, wrestling, and Muay Thai.
4 Most Total Fight Time In The Welterweight Division
Most fighters probably want to spend as little time as possible locked in the octagon, but apparently not GSP. It seems like few fighters have even managed to come close to his over five-hour fight time in the octagon.
Five hours is an incredibly long time, but it starts to make more sense when you remember that all that time is spread out across nearly 20 fights. While GSP was quick to finish his fights early in his career, the longer he competed, the longer his fights got.
3 Ulcerative Colitis Caused His Retirement
Every UFC fighter goes through their own share of hardships, and GSP is no exception. While he originally retired back in 2013, he would of course return in dominant fashion when the company needed him most. After becoming a two-division champion, he would finally retire, and this time it seems like it may be for good.
Rather than a nagging injury or the prompting of loved ones, GSP retired due to an illness that seriously impacted his digestive tract. It may not have required retirement, but many fans were happy to see him retire on top. As a result of his retirement, Georges St. Pierre vacated the UFC Middleweight Championship.
2 He Was The Main Event Of 13 PPVs
Plenty of fighters describe themselves as prizefighters, and everyone knows that the biggest prize comes with headlining a pay-per-view. GSP may only come in fifth on the list of most PPV main events, but that doesn’t mean he was slacking.
Most fighters dream of becoming the main event of one PPV, and GSP managed to do it on 13 separate occasions during his career. His first main event was back in 2006 at UFC 65, and his 13th main event was in 2017 at UFC 217.
1 Has A Roughly 90% Win Percentage
For how many fights GSP has been in over the span of his career, the fact that his win percentage is so high is astounding. Any fighter having a lengthy career in the octagon without taking at least one loss is so incredibly rare that only a few managed the feat.
GSP may be one of the greatest of all time, but he lost twice, both times in the first round of title fights. It was those losses that drove him to become the best version of himself and, after his loss to Matt Serra, GSP never lost again.
