On Thursday, Georges St-Pierre announced his retirement from the UFC. He will go down as one of the greatest fighters in UFC history and one of its key draws as the company tried to gain a foothold in mainstream sports landscape.
Before Ronda Rousey, Conor McGregor or the superfight, GSP was the key to PPV buys. Partly due to his large Canadian fan base and partly due to his respectful, martial arts philosophy, GSP was a legitimate draw that was able to crossover to mainstream awareness.
I’m announcing my retirement from the UFC and mixed martial arts competition. I intend to keep training and practicing martial arts for as long as I live, but now is the time that I chose to end my career as a professional MMA athlete. Read my official statement in the images. pic.twitter.com/uMP0LE5XeF
— Georges St-Pierre (@GeorgesStPierre) February 21, 2019
A failure to book a fight against Khabib Nurmogomedov was the main reason why GSP decided on retiring which may lead one to believe that if he were offered the fight down the road, he may return to the Octagon. As with combat sports, retiring is not seen as a finality. MMA and boxing have had its share of failed retirements. Could we see GSP return to MMA rather than staying retired for good?
Likely.
On Thursday, Georges St-Pierre announced his retirement from the UFC. He will go down as one of the greatest fighters in UFC history and one of its key draws as the company tried to gain a foothold in mainstream sports landscape.
Before Ronda Rousey, Conor McGregor or the superfight, GSP was the key to PPV buys. Partly due to his large Canadian fan base and partly due to his respectful, martial arts philosophy, GSP was a legitimate draw that was able to crossover to mainstream awareness.
A failure to book a fight against Khabib Nurmogomedov was the main reason why GSP decided on retiring which may lead one to believe that if he were offered the fight down the road, he may return to the Octagon. As with combat sports, retiring is not seen as a finality, only a sabbatical. MMA and boxing have had its share of failed retirements. Could we see GSP return to MMA rather than staying retired for good?
Likely.
But if he decides to stay retired, he will go down as one of the greatest in UFC history. He will not have the PPV buy rates that Rousey or McGregor can claim, but his draw and conversion of fans to the UFC was also an important part of where the company is now situated. GSP is a true martial artist in its purist form. At a time where MMA fighters are dedicated for a short stint of time, GSP is an individual that will be dedicated to the martial arts for the rest of his life. And when the UFC needed a star, they had it in GSP.
We will see what GSP does now. He is set for life financially and one may see him doing seminars or autograph signings to earn some extra revenue. But will the allure of a big fight bring him out of retirement? Time will tell.
Leave a Reply