Georges St-Pierre still knows how to analyze and break down the best fighters in the world, even in retirement.
The former UFC champion opens court in front of fans in a question-and-answer session ahead of UFC Paris on Friday, where he was asked how he stacks up against three of the most successful fighters of his generation: current second-middle Heavyweight champion Leon Edwards, former welterweight champion and number one pound-for-pound fighter Kamaru Usman, and lightweight great Khabib Nurmagomedov.
In his response, Saint-Pierre described what each star’s greatest attribute was.
“It’s hard because they all have good qualities,” said Saint-Pierre. “They’re all very different. Leon is going to give me a lot of trouble because he’s smart. It’s like a chess game. It’s going to be a tough puzzle because it’s going to be a very technical game. Combat.
“Kamaru is physically fit, he’s athletic, he’s a beast. He’s strong, he hits hard, he’s a great wrestler. Physically it will be very tough and demanding.
“Khabib is a legend in terms of his knowledge and experience. He has a lot of tools in his bag. It’s going to be a game I don’t know the outcome How to fight. I don’t know. It’s not the best fighter that wins the fight, it’s the best fighter that night, so to beat them I need to be the best person on the night of the fight and be very, very well prepared. “
St-Pierre and Nurmagomedov have spoken openly about fighting each other in the past, St-Pierre is widely regarded as one of the greatest champions in MMA history, and Nurmagomedov is widely regarded as one of the greatest champions in MMA history. A UFC lightweight champion and a spotless 29-0 career record, he earned his place in the GOAT discussion. These days, both seem to be enjoying retirement rather than chasing comeback battles.
St-Pierre gives more to current champ on the subject of Edwards’ incredible counter-attack knocking out Usman at UFC 278 ‘s praise.
“I think he won in the first round, he showed incredible skill in the first round, let Kamaruwu Sman plays on his back, rides on him, carries him,” Saint-Pierre said. “He showed incredible skills there. He lost because he lost after the second, third and fourth round and he was heading for a fifth-round loss. But I think it was What makes Leon Edwards so good is his combat IQ.
“He’s also very good at neutralizing opponents’ advantages. He’s very good at squeezing his opponent’s strengths, taking the fight to his comfort zone and letting him fight outside his comfort zone, and I think that’s what makes Leon Edwards so good. “
St. Pierre was also known for neutralizing the advantage of opponents in his legendary fight with the UFC from 2004-2017, regardless of It’s to force wrestling experts like Matt Hughes, Jon Fitch, and Josh Koscheck to side with him, or use his own elite wrestling to kill dangerous finishers like BJ Penn, Nick Diaz, and Carlos Condit, among many others An unforgettable victory.
St-Pierre is no stranger to rematches either, with Hughes, Koscheck, Penn and Matt Serra all making more than one appearances with ” GSP’ into the octagon. St-Pierre dominates in a rematch with only two men to beat him, Hughes and Serra, so his rematch between Edwards and Usman may have Some opinions.
“That’s the beauty of the sport — I mean, if you’re on the winner’s side, of course , because anything can happen,” said Saint-Pierre. “It’s boring if you always know who’s going to win. … that night, Kamaru won the fight, but he made a key mistake that is unforgettable at this level. When he should have twisted and credited to Leon Edwards, he twisted, he made a beautiful setup, it was awesome, he won the world championship. Now they have hope of a rematch, we’ll see.
Twice. You can fight the same name twice, but you can never fight the same fighter twice. Every battle leaves scars. It could be the best, it could be the worst, we often see fighters after a loss, losing affects their confidence, and confidence is very important for a fighter because you can have all the skills in the world, But if you don’t have confidence it’s like a person has a lot of money in his bank account but can’t access it. To make magic happen, you need skill and confidence. So we’ll see how strong Kamaru Usman’s spirit is, and if he comes back and wins the title, I think he’ll add more points to his legacy. It’s going to be a hell of a fight, a hell of a challenge. “
