Former UFC middleweight and welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre recently gave his thoughts on the state of Conor McGregor’s fighting career.
The Hall of Famer spoke with ESPN’s Ariel Helwani this week and was asked about “Notorious'” last fight against Dustin Poirier. McGregor lost to Poirier via second-round TKO at UFC 257 in January. A lot has been made about the fighting stance McGregor implemented in the fight and how it could have possibly been a factor in the Irishman’s loss as his front leg was drilled with several vicious calf kicks.
“It could have been a big factor [for] why he lost that fight,” St-Pierre said. “I know he talks about how he got hurt with that calf kick. When you’re in a boxing stance, very often your stance is wider and a lot of your weight is put on the lead leg which makes you very vulnerable for those leg kicks. That could have been a big factor.”
“GSP” said that McGregor’s training camp could have been affected by COVID-19 restrictions, which could have also hampered his performance.
St-Pierre then turned his attention to Poirier and praised the No. 1 ranked lightweight.
“We talk about Conor, but let’s talk about Dustin Poirier,” GSP said. “Poirier did an amazing [job]. Let’s not take away the performance of Dustin Poirier, it was amazing. He deserved the win. Sometimes we have the tendency when someone is so dominant to only talk about how he didn’t look the same. We see that very often.”
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GSP Told McGregor That He Needs to Get Out of His ‘Comfort Zone’
St-Pierre ended his career in 2017 as one of the biggest stars in the sport, riding a 13-fight win streak which included winning and defending the welterweight title nine times as well as earning the 185-pound belt in his last fight.
Helwani asked GSP for his thoughts on McGregor’s motivation levels, drawing from his own experience. Notorious is the most successful fighter in the UFC financially, which has many questioning his commitment and heart for competing.
GSP said that when he made his first $1 million, his life changed. But what came with that was a change since he was no longer fighting for financial security.
“To keep performing, you need to get out of your comfort zone,” St-Pierre said. “You cannot stay in your comfort zone during a training camp. Because you’re trying to recreate the same element that you will face for a fight. And when you fight, you won’t be in your comfort zone.
“So it is imperative that Conor, if [he] wants to get back on the road of success, he needs to get out of his comfort zone. He needs to not be the boss of his training camp. He needs his coaches to tell him, ‘Now you’re going to spar this guy, you’re going to go there, do this.’ Even if it doesn’t please him, he needs to go through that. Because if you stay in your comfort zone, the only thing that can happen is you will go down. You need to do that.”
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Georges St-Pierre to Conor McGregor: ‘You Need to Do That’