When he was active in the UFC, Georges St-Pierre was one of those who campaigned to establish the foundations of a union that would see to the implementation of new rules and the maintenance of good working conditions. for mixed martial arts fighters. In retirement, the former champion continues to have the interests of his successors at heart.
Monday, during his appearance on the show The MMA HourGSP commented on the case of heavyweight division champion Francis Ngannou.
The Cameroonian has been out of contract since defending his title against Frenchman Cyril Gane at UFC 270. While recovering from knee surgery for an injury he suffered ahead of that fight , questions abound as to the direction his career will take.
“He took a huge risk and now he has to reap the rewards,” said St-Pierre in an interview with Ariel Helwani. Life must give him back. He worked too hard for that. He deserves it more than anyone. »
“As a friend, I would tell him that he must now make sure he is paid his fair value. If he is not satisfied with the UFC’s offer, he must offer his services elsewhere and find a place where he will be well compensated. He’s not that young and at heavyweight, one punch can change everything. It’s rare to see a champion keep his title for very long. For these reasons, he must ensure that he is paid his fair value. He has the big end of the stick, he can afford to negotiate. »
Ngannou received an official purse of $600,000 to face Gane. By way of comparison, Tyson Fury was recently promised a $32 million purse to face Dillian Whyte.
We don’t mention Fury’s name by chance. The British heavyweight has already expressed his desire to welcome Ngannou into a ring in 2023. Faced with this possibility, St-Pierre hesitates.
“Francis definitely deserves all those millions, but deep down I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do. He is so talented in MMA. If he makes the jump to boxing, the odds will strongly favor Fury and I fear it could destroy his career. If I were him, I would try to stay in MMA as long as I still felt like it and afterwards, if I felt like it, why not a boxing match? But he is the one who decides, he can do what he wants. Throughout his life, Francis exceeded expectations. Maybe I don’t know anything, maybe he’ll knock out. to Fury! I only wish him the best. »
GSP’s acting career continues
On a personal level, GSP must now go to England where he will participate in the shooting of a film in which he will play a contract killer.
And speaking of film, St-Pierre was very attentive to the Oscars ceremony. Like the rest of the planet, the incident between Chris Rock and Will Smith did not leave him indifferent.
“I think Chris Rock has a hell of a chin. I think I’m more impressed with Chris Rock’s performance than Will Smith. I wrote to Dana White on Instagram that he should do a special UFC card with celebrities. I guarantee he would make a ton of money,” St-Pierre told Helwani.
Like what the Paul brothers are doing in the boxing world, St-Pierre believes the UFC should take advantage of the opportunity to feature fighters who have notoriety outside of the octagon.
“The sport has changed a bit. It’s more entertainment now. Sometimes you want to know who is the best in the world and sometimes you wonder who would win between this guy and this guy. I think there is room for both. »
