Georges St-Pierre was shook before fighting Matt Hughes the first time.
Widely considered to be one of the greatest fighters of all time, St-Pierre had a remarkable and ground-breaking MMA career, but it wasn’t flawless. “GSP” lost twice in his career, later avenging both losses, but the first came when he was only seven fights into his career, and facing a legend in Hughes. Looking back on that fight, St-Pierre says it was the one he was most anxious for heading into it, and believes that played
a part in his loss.
“Actually, the worst anxiety that I had was my first fight with Matt Hughes,” St-Pierre said on the Red Hawk Recap. “And I lost that fight. I couldn’t sleep at night. It was driving me completely crazy, and I remember going into that fight, I couldn’t see myself winning. I couldn’t get over that mental barrier. And I lost the fight.
“I believe that I lost the fight because of mental issues. I beat him the second time and the third time. I think, yes, I might be skill-wise better, but I think the reason that I lost the fight was because didn’t see myself winning out there. I didn’t believe it. It was too fast, and I felt I had no choice, because the opportunity was given to me, and I had to take it. I was thrown to the wolves, sort of. That’s how I felt at the time. I was very young, 23 years old; Matt Hughes was like an idol. It was too big. Too big. I was not ready for that.”
St-Pierre bounced back from that loss and won their rematch two years later, finally becoming UFC welterweight champion. He then dropped the title to Matt Serra in his next fight, one of the biggest upsets in MMA history. Following that loss, St-Pierre started working with a mental performance coach, taking that aspect of fighting as seriously as his other training.
“Everything, I believe, starts from a thought,” St-Pierre said. “It’s the same thing in the career of an athlete, I think. If you want to be a champion, you have first to imagine yourself becoming champion, to feel it. …
“Preparation is also mental. I’m a big believer in it.”
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VIDEO STEW
Between the Links.
The best KOs from fighters at UFC Belgrade.
Chael asks the big questions.
Jake Paul on ESPN.
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FEED ME MORE
Important questions.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The PFL card tonight is very solid, and the top two fights, while having huge odds, are significant. One of the rare weeks where a PFL card is better than what the UFC is offering. Enjoy and see y’all on Monday.
EXIT POLL
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