Canadian MMA pioneer Kristof Midoux (standing below left), took Georges St-Pierre under his wing when welterweight G.O.A.T. was only 16, and has served as a mentor since.
Immediately after St-Pierre’s split decision victory over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 in 2013, GSP made ambiguous remarks about needing time off, maybe forever, citing unnamed personal issues. Midoux then gave multiple interviews with the French Canadian press, saying he thought it was time for St-Pierre to retire, and go out as one the greatest champions in mixed martial arts history.
Midoux said if GSP didn’t retire he would no longer be in his corner. The coach also that if St-Pierre took a year or two off, he could then return to fight whoever the new champion was, with Midoux’s approval and support. GSP ended up taking off four years.
Now during an appearance on Patrick Cote’s French-language Uppercut Podcast, Midoux says St-Pierre doesn’t look good and should not have returned.
“I think he needs help and I think the people around him are hiding things from him,” said Midoux, as transcribed by Mathieu Boulay for the Montreal Journal, via Google Translate. “I witnessed his sparring and I did not see what I wanted to see from him.”
“I saw guys coming into the cage without headgear that are 10,000 light years away from Michael Bisping. They did their little five-minute round with George as if it were with my wife. They were not stressed and they came out clean. I would have liked to see a knockout and a more aggressive George.”
“I do not agree with this return and I do not know who managed to convince him. I do not see the objective surrounding this fight.
“Moreover, when I see George’s eyes, they do not tell me anything good. Then, during his face-to-face in Las Vegas, I would have liked him to give a slap to Bisping to show him what was waiting for him on November 4th. The guys who have their hands in their pockets like George did, they do not feel like fighting. You have to have the urge and the rage to do it.”
This is the faceoff where Midoux faults St-Pierre for lacking sufficient fire:
Despite the comments, Midoux considers St-Pierre a brother and hopes with all his heart to be proven wrong. GSP responded to the remarks without bitterness.
“I was told what he said,” said welterweight G.O.A.T. “For his sparring story, I was not at my best because I had a gastro, a virus running in the gym. He does not really know what’s going on because he comes and leaves immediately. I may have had a bad day when he passed. I am satisfied with my workouts and all is well. “
GSP will be cornered at UFC 217 vs middleweight champion Michael Bisping by Firas Zahabi, Freddy Roach, and Jorge Blanco, but not Midoux.
“I had to fill out the forms a long time ago,” said St-Pierre. “I have worked with many people over the past four years. Those in my corner are people I worked with who were there. It’s a bit of a reward.”
