For some reason, Georges St-Pierre is that rare breed of fighter who is held in high esteem by the fans despite his failings and successes.
There is no one thing that is specific to pin-point that drives his fans into an animated state of protective frenzy whenever St-Pierre’s name is supposedly sullied—rightly or wrongly.
The likes of Fedor Emelianenko, Wanderlei Silva, Mirko Filipovic, Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture have all been hero-worshipped, but the adulation bestowed upon St-Pierre by his fervent supporters even surpasses that.
In every sport you have the good guy and the bad guy—St-Pierre seems to be the former.
His naysayers would argue differently—their most vocal ire is that St-Pierre fails to finish fights.
They are right—St-Pierre has won his last four bouts via unanimous decision. The emphasis here should be placed on won, as winning is really all that counts. However, some would disagree whilst others would fight tooth and nail to prove otherwise.
I can only surmise that the St-Pierre adoration is due to several factors:
St-Pierre’s Background
I would say that some of St-Pierre’s fans see a little of themselves in him. That fact that St-Pierre’s parents weren’t affluent and yet he was still able to achieve all that he has to date, must’ve been something some of his fans could identify with.
There’s also the story of how St-Pierre took up karate to combat the bullies at his school who picked on him and stole his clothes. That kind of anecdote would most certainly have left an indelible mark on his many fans—some whom might’ve been in a similar situation but were too afraid to fight back.
St-Pierre’s Character
St-Pierre has the accolade of being one of the nicest guys in MMA, if the not the nicest. He conducts himself in a respectful manner and this demeanour crosses over to his opponents as well.
I would think that most people having grown up in a tough neighbourhood and been subjected to the abuse that St-Pierre had experienced would’ve turned out differently in comparison to St-Pierre.
St-Pierre’s Achievements
St-Pierre’s accomplishments inside the Octagon—coming from nothing to being one of the most dominant fighters and champions in the history of MMA must’ve endeared him to those fans.
Also, the way in which St-Pierre was able comeback from his shocking defeat to Matt Serra and regain the UFC welterweight championship, I’m sure played its part too.
There must be other factors at play here, but whatever they maybe, it seems that St-Pierre stands alone as being the most idolized fighter in MMA.
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