GSP: I lost the drive to hurt my opponent
GSP: Why I left mixed martial arts
From the producers of ‘Bowling for Columbine’, ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ and ‘Generation Iron’ comes ‘The Hurt Business‘ a documentary examining the rise of mixed martial arts through fighter’s eyes, including Ronda Rousey, Georges St-Pierre, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, and Jon Jones.
In the latest clip release, the welterweight G.O.A.T. was asked why he decided to retire? The fighter said initially that he need a break from the pressure of being the best. He later came out strongly and said he would not return until stringent PED testing was in place.
GSP hasn’t fought since 2013, and in the ensuing years, the pressure presumably lessened. And the UFC has instituted what may be the best drug testing in sports.
But the fighter revealed that the real reason he needed a break was that he no longer had the desire to hurt his opponent. And that’s no good.
“Critics said I was fighting more to win instead of finishing the fight and it’s true,” said St-Pierre, as transcribed by Marc Raimondi for MMA Fighting. “Toward the end, I didn’t have the same anger, I didn’t have the same drive to hurt the guy and to finish it. And it’s a fact. I tried to get it back, but it is very hard and I think the best way to get it back for me is step out, because it’s more an emotion thing.”
“I was fighting more for winning instead of for going through the guy. I needed to step out to let my hunger go up.”
St-Pierre, 35, is currently planning a comeback at UFC 206 on Dec. 10 in Toronto, if he can come to terms with UFC management, now working with the newWME-IMG owners.
Directed by Vlad Yudin (Generation Iron), produced by Jim Czarnecki (Bigger Stronger Faster, Vice News) and narrated by multiple Academy Awards winner Kevin Costner, The Hurt Business is set to be released in theaters this fall.