UFC Hall of famer Georges St-Pierre has opened up about the most humiliating experience he endured during his long and prestigious career.
The former Welterweight champion formally retired from the sport on top and accomplished a spectacular 26-2 record. However, of his two career losses, it was his upset defeat against Matt Serra that “GSP” acknowledges as the “most humiliating thing” that happened in his career.
Matt Serra entered the bout as a heavy underdog and some pundits sight this as arguably the biggest upset in MMA history.
“There is a saying that nothing can make you weaker than a victory, and it’s true. That’s what happened when I beat Matt Hughes,” St-Pierre said to BT Sport. “My loss [against Serra] made me much stronger because I learned from it, but my victory weakened me. I was the new face of the UFC, I was young and I was the guy who just beat Matt Hughes. Everyone saw in me an aura of invincibility, and I started to believe in it.
“Nobody gave him a chance, including myself. I went there and he clipped me with a very good punch and I was never able to come back into the fight. I learned a big lesson again, it’s not always the best fighter that wins the fight, it’s the fighter that fights the best the night of the fight.”
Following his loss to Serra, St-Pierre would never lose again and he would reclaim the welterweight belt and defend it nine times, eventually becoming one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. For GSP, it was his career-defining loss against Matt Serra that set him on the dominant path to victory for years to come.
“It was the most humiliating thing in my career,” St-Pierre said. “I felt I let down everybody, even though it turned out to be a positive experience because it made me who I am today, a much better fighter and martial artist.” (Transcribed by BJPENN.com)
Some amazing perspective from the mind of one of the great champions the sport has ever seen.
Do you think we will see the great Georges St-Pierre step inside the Octagon again?