Freddie Roach says GSP would perform better at a lower weight class.
Legendary boxing coach Freddie Roach cornered a UFC event for the first time this past weekend. His pupil in Georges St-Pierre took home the middleweight belt, hurting Michael Bisping twice on the feet before eventually choking him out.
Roach says he enjoyed the new experience, and was also glad with what he saw from GSP’s hands on that bout.
“I was a little concerned (that he was fatiguing). It was obviously a fast-paced fight, and he did box very well in the first round and I was very happy with it. Bisping is a very tough opponent, he came back in the second round,” Roach said on The MMA Hour.
“He started countering our right hand with his right hand, so that’s where I saw the left hook would work because he is a little bit lazy bringing it back.”
As for St-Pierre seemingly slowing down a little in the second round, Roach doesn’t think it was the ring rust, and attributed it to him still not being used to his much bigger frame at middleweight.
“He was maybe getting a little bit tired,” he said. “I think moving up a weight division, I am not sure that’s his best weight division or if we will fight there again, but we will see where it goes.”
“I think it was the weight that got to him. He’s not used to carrying that much weight and he fatigued a little quicker than usual. Again, we will work it all out and get together with the whole team and discuss what the next best move is for Georges.”
There are certainly a lot of factors to what St-Pierre’s next bout is going to be, especially from a promotional standpoint, as White is pushing interim champ Robert Whittaker to be next in line.
If Roach was to be asked though, he prefers it if St-Pierre drops back down in weight as that’s where he would perform the best.
“I won’t make that decision myself. I will need help with the other guys. I need their input as well, but Georges’ input is the most important,” he said. “I think I would like him to go to a lower weight division — back to the weight that he’s more comfortable in and more used to.
“But the thing is, that might not be available at this point. We have to make that out with the promoter. With the UFC, usually with what they say, goes.”