GSP at Gracie Barra
Posted by Tommy Hackett on November 1st, 2008
In The Guard just posted a fantastic video interview, complete with training footage, of Georges St Pierre at Gracie Barra in Rio de Jainero.
The newly promoted BJJ black belt talks about his training, gives his opinions on his friend Patrick Cote’s controversial bout with Anderson Silva, and even describes that weird nipple-tweaking thing that all of Greg Jackson’s fighters have been doing prior to their recent bouts. It’s every bit as awesome as the “I’m Not Impressed By Your Performance” song that a fan made for GSP four months ago, and that my friends is quite awesome.
GSP on Cote’s bout last weekend:
“Patrick came out with a great game plan. He was pressing Anderson Silva but he was letting him do the first move. Anderson Silva has a long reach. He never fought someone who fought him that way, who put the pressure on him and when he start to do the move, he stop, and then he do the counter attack… and I think it was the key. It would have been very interesting to see the fight go on… it’s sad to see a fight finish like that.”
Apparently Cote was operating on a loose anterior cruciate ligament for his last three fights. GSP says Cote’s strategy was to bring Silva in to the late rounds where he implies Cote may have opened up more.
On his training:
“I fight my opponent to their weakness, not to their strength. I’m going to show some stuff that people have never seen from me before. I have a lot of tools I haven’t shown yet and I will do it at a proper moment.”
On the upcoming title match against BJ Penn:
“BJ Penn, it’s different. He’s a big guy. I don’t know how he does to fight at 155. I think he’s heavier than I. He’s going to come in shape and I’m going to have to come with my A game or it’s going to be a bad night for me. But I’m very confident this is going to go my way. I want to finish him; I don’t want a decision. This time I want to make it clear.”
On the future:
“I’m not afraid to fight nobody. I’m not a chicken. I’m a proud athlete and I will always fight the guy who will give me the best challenge. If the fans want me to fight Anderson Silva, I’ll fight Anderson Silva.”
Confession time: as far as I’m concerned, it’s been a lousy last few months for MMA. Evan Tanner died tragically in September; Elite XC closed its doors putting dozens of talented fighters out of work earlier this month, and this week, my all time favorite MMA fighter, who I also call my friend, may have hit his darkest hour.
But this interview reminds me that there’s still plenty to look forward to. The greatest fighters in the world are still being matched against each other, and they’re going around the world to train for it.
I’ll be watching, and I invite you to do the same.