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Montreal Gazette
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Montreal Gazette
Quebec UFC legend Georges St-Pierre to share his life story on stage
TORONTO — Former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre wants to share his story. From being bullied as a child to holding down three jobs while going to college. And the stress and challenges he faced in his rise to being a two-division mixed martial arts champion. The 44-year-old native of St-Isidore, who is a member of the Canada Sports Hall of Fame and UFC Hall of Fame, will debut GSP: The Instinct of a Champion at Toronto's Meridian Hall on Sept. 29 with other Canadian dates to follow in 2026. The hope is to then take the show to the U.S. and other countries. St-Pierre is no stranger to speaking publicly, having made plenty of speeches to corporate and other gatherings. The speaking tour will take the form of a live interview, followed by an audience Q-and-A. 'I will explain how I deal with fear, with stress. Background stories. Different protocol and tricks that I used throughout my career,' St-Pierre said from Thailand, where he is filming a reality show to air next year on Netflix. He believes the September show will work for fans and those who hope to learn something that they can apply to their lives. 'A lot of what I do is always oriented towards the art of war — in terms of performance, how to be the best. And to be able to reach the top,' he explained. St-Pierre officially retired in 2019 with a 26-2 record, having won the middleweight title in his last fight at UFC 217 in 2017. He previously was the longtime welterweight champion. Sharing his story was difficult at first, he acknowledged. 'Now time has passed and I can talk about a lot of things in my life that I was not so comfortable to talk about when I was younger,' he said. 'Things like my dad when he was drinking and how it would affect me. Because when he quit drinking, he became my No. 1 inspiration. I saw how hard it was (for him). 'So everything started negative in the beginning, but then later it became a positive thing, because it became an inspiration for me. When he made that sacrifice (forgoing alcohol), it really reunited my family and it bound us back together. It's something that had a huge impact on my life. … I feel very lucky and very privileged to have a great role model.' St-Pierre comes from humble beginnings on Montreal's South Shore. His father spent more than 60 hours a week on a floor-recovering business, installing carpet and ceramics. His mother nursed the elderly. St-Pierre earned his own floor-recovering certificate before making it big in MMA. Tony Gattillo, the Montreal-based producer of the show, believes St-Pierre's story can serve as inspiration. 'I think people will leave the show very motivated and will want to apply certain things that Georges is going to share … for the first time. And motivate the people,' said Gattillo, a former singer who works behind the scenes in the entertainment industry. 'And help them realize that if you want to be a champion in your life or you want to reach a certain goal, there is hard work to do. There's dedication. There's discipline. And mental toughness.' When St-Pierre entered the modern wing of the UFC Hall of Fame in 2020, he was one of seven UFC fighters to win a title in two weight classes. He retired on a 13-fight win streak with a record that included 13 title fight victories, the second most in UFC history, and boasted the most strikes landed (2,591), most significant ground strikes landed (461) and most takedowns (90).
Hamilton Spectator
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre looks to share his story on stage
TORONTO - Former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre wants to share his story. From being bullied as a child to holding down three jobs while going to college. And the stress and challenges he faced in his rise to being a two-division mixed martial arts champion. The 44-year-old St-Pierre, a native of Saint-Isidore, Que., who is a member of both the Canada Sports Hall of Fame and UFC Hall of Fame, will debut 'GSP: The Instinct of a Champion' at Toronto's Meridian Hall on Sept. 29 with other Canadian dates to follow in 2026. The hope is to then take the show to the U.S. and other countries. St-Pierre is no stranger to speaking publicly, having made plenty of speeches to corporate and other gatherings. The speaking tour will take the form of a live interview, followed by an audience Q-and-A. 'I will explain how I deal with fear, with stress. Background stories. Different protocol and tricks that I used throughout my career,' St-Pierre said from Thailand where he currently filming a reality show to air next year on Netflix. He believes the September show will work for both fans and those who hope to learn something that they can apply to their own lives. 'A lot of what I do is always oriented towards the art of war — in terms of performance, how to be the best. And to be able to reach the top,' he explained. St-Pierre officially retired in February 2019 with a 26-2-0 record, having won the middleweight title in his last fight at UFC 217 in November 2017. He previously was the longtime welterweight champion. Sharing his story was difficult at first, he acknowledges. 'Now time has passed and I can talk about a lot of things in my life that I was not so comfortable to talk about when I was younger,' he said. 'Things like my dad when he was drinking and how it would affect me. Because when he quit drinking, he became my No. 1 inspiration. I saw how hard it was (for him). 'So everything started negative in the beginning but then later it became a positive thing, because it became an inspiration for me. When he made that sacrifice (forgoing alcohol), it really reunited my family and it bound us back together. It's something that had a huge impact on my life … I feel very lucky and very privileged to have a great role model.' St-Pierre comes from humble beginnings on Montreal's South Shore. His father spent more than 60 hours a week on a floor-recovering business, installing carpet and ceramics. His mother nursed the elderly. St-Pierre earned his own floor-recovering certificate before making it big in MMA. Tony Gattillo, the Montreal-based producer of the show, believes St-Pierre's story can serve as inspiration. 'I think people will leave the show very motivated and will want to apply certain things that Georges is going to share … for the first time. And motivate the people,' said Gattillo, a former singer now working behind the scenes in the entertainment industry. 'And help them realize that if you want to be a champion in your life or you want to reach a certain goal, there is hard work to do. There's dedication. There's discipline. And mental toughness.' When St-Pierre entered the modern wing of the UFC Hall of Fame in 2020, he was one of seven UFC fighters to win a title in two weight classes. He retired on a 13-fight win streak with a record that included 13 title fight victories, the second most in UFC history, and boasted the most strikes landed (2,591), most significant ground strikes landed (461) and most takedowns (90). —- This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2025
Winnipeg Free Press
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre looks to share his story on stage
TORONTO – Former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre wants to share his story. From being bullied as a child to holding down three jobs while going to college. And the stress and challenges he faced in his rise to being a two-division mixed martial arts champion. The 44-year-old St-Pierre, a native of Saint-Isidore, Que., who is a member of both the Canada Sports Hall of Fame and UFC Hall of Fame, will debut 'GSP: The Instinct of a Champion' at Toronto's Meridian Hall on Sept. 29 with other Canadian dates to follow in 2026. The hope is to then take the show to the U.S. and other countries. St-Pierre is no stranger to speaking publicly, having made plenty of speeches to corporate and other gatherings. The speaking tour will take the form of a live interview, followed by an audience Q-and-A. 'I will explain how I deal with fear, with stress. Background stories. Different protocol and tricks that I used throughout my career,' St-Pierre said from Thailand where he currently filming a reality show to air next year on Netflix. He believes the September show will work for both fans and those who hope to learn something that they can apply to their own lives. 'A lot of what I do is always oriented towards the art of war — in terms of performance, how to be the best. And to be able to reach the top,' he explained. St-Pierre officially retired in February 2019 with a 26-2-0 record, having won the middleweight title in his last fight at UFC 217 in November 2017. He previously was the longtime welterweight champion. Sharing his story was difficult at first, he acknowledges. 'Now time has passed and I can talk about a lot of things in my life that I was not so comfortable to talk about when I was younger,' he said. 'Things like my dad when he was drinking and how it would affect me. Because when he quit drinking, he became my No. 1 inspiration. I saw how hard it was (for him). 'So everything started negative in the beginning but then later it became a positive thing, because it became an inspiration for me. When he made that sacrifice (forgoing alcohol), it really reunited my family and it bound us back together. It's something that had a huge impact on my life … I feel very lucky and very privileged to have a great role model.' St-Pierre comes from humble beginnings on Montreal's South Shore. His father spent more than 60 hours a week on a floor-recovering business, installing carpet and ceramics. His mother nursed the elderly. St-Pierre earned his own floor-recovering certificate before making it big in MMA. Tony Gattillo, the Montreal-based producer of the show, believes St-Pierre's story can serve as inspiration. 'I think people will leave the show very motivated and will want to apply certain things that Georges is going to share … for the first time. And motivate the people,' said Gattillo, a former singer now working behind the scenes in the entertainment industry. 'And help them realize that if you want to be a champion in your life or you want to reach a certain goal, there is hard work to do. There's dedication. There's discipline. And mental toughness.' When St-Pierre entered the modern wing of the UFC Hall of Fame in 2020, he was one of seven UFC fighters to win a title in two weight classes. He retired on a 13-fight win streak with a record that included 13 title fight victories, the second most in UFC history, and boasted the most strikes landed (2,591), most significant ground strikes landed (461) and most takedowns (90). — This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2025
USA Today
06-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC bantamweight title history: Dominick Cruz, Aljamain Sterling, Merab Dvalishvili, more
UFC bantamweight title history: Dominick Cruz, Aljamain Sterling, Merab Dvalishvili, more (This story was updated to add new information.) The bantamweight title is on the line in the UFC 316 main event when champion Merab Dvalishvili (19-4 MMA, 12-2 UFC) takes on ex-champ Sean O'Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in a rematch. Take a look at a chronological history of the UFC's 135-pound title, which migrated over from the WEC in 2010 when the promotions merged. Dominick Cruz Date: Dec. 16, 2010 Dec. 16, 2010 Event: WEC 53 WEC 53 Opponent: Scott Jorgensen Scott Jorgensen Total reign: 1,117 days 1,117 days Title defenses: Urijah Faber, Demetrious Johnson Renan Barao (interim) Date: July 21, 2012 July 21, 2012 Event: UFC 149 UFC 149 Opponent: Urijah Faber Urijah Faber Total reign: 534 days as interim champ; 138 days after being promoted to champion (Jan. 6, 2014) 534 days as interim champ; 138 days after being promoted to champion (Jan. 6, 2014) Title defenses: Michael McDonald, Eddie Wineland, Urijah Faber T.J. Dillashaw Date: May 24, 2014 May 24, 2014 Event: UFC 173 UFC 173 Opponent: Renan Barao Renan Barao Total reign: 603 days 603 days Title defenses: Joe Soto, Renan Barao Dominick Cruz Date: Jan. 17, 2016 Jan. 17, 2016 Event: UFC Fight Night 81 UFC Fight Night 81 Opponent: T.J. Dillashaw T.J. Dillashaw Total reign: 348 days 348 days Title defenses: Urijah Faber Cody Garbrandt Date: Dec. 30, 2016 Dec. 30, 2016 Event: UFC 207 UFC 207 Opponent: Dominick Cruz Dominick Cruz Total reign: 309 days 309 days Title defenses: None T.J. Dillashaw Date: Nov. 4, 2017 Nov. 4, 2017 Event: UFC 217 UFC 217 Opponent: Cody Garbrandt Cody Garbrandt Total reign: 501 days 501 days Title defenses: Cody Garbrandt Henry Cejudo Date: June 8, 2019 June 8, 2019 Event: UFC 238 UFC 238 Opponent: Marlon Moraes Marlon Moraes Total reign: 352 days 352 days Title defenses: Dominick Cruz Petr Yan Date: July 12, 2020 July 12, 2020 Event: UFC 251 UFC 251 Opponent: Jose Aldo Jose Aldo Total reign: 237 days 237 days Title defenses: None Aljamain Sterling Date: March 6, 2021 March 6, 2021 Event: UFC 259 UFC 259 Opponent: Petr Yan Petr Yan Total reign: 896 days 896 days Title defenses: Petr Yan, T.J. Dillashaw, Henry Cejudo Petr Yan (interim) Date: Oct. 30, 2021 Oct. 30, 2021 Event: UFC 267 UFC 267 Opponent: Cory Sandhagen Cory Sandhagen Title defenses: None Sean O'Malley Date: Aug. 19, 2023 Aug. 19, 2023 Event: UFC 292 UFC 292 Opponent: Aljamain Sterling Aljamain Sterling Total reign: 393 days 393 days Title defenses: Marlon Vera Merab Dvalishvili
USA Today
02-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Daniel Cormier wishes he retired on top like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Georges St-Pierre
Daniel Cormier wishes he retired on top like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Georges St-Pierre Former UFC dual-champion Daniel Cormier admits he should have hung up his gloves earlier than he did. Cormier (22-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) retired in 2020 after back-to-back heavyweight title losses to Stipe Miocic. The former NCAA Division I All-American was one of few UFC fighters to not only win two titles simultaneously, but successfully defend both. After knocking out Miocic at UFC 226 to become double-champ, Cormier successfully defended his belt with a submission of Derrick Lewis at UFC 230. That's when Cormier would have rather walked away, but instead, he explains how he was lured into two more title fights with Miocic. "Listen to not only your body – because your body is going to tell you first," Cormier said on the WOLFpak podcast. "Your mind will actually tell you. You know when it's time. Not everybody gets what Khabib got. Khabib literally got a fairytale. Him and Georges St-Pierre got to leave on top. Not everybody gets that. But listen to what's available, the signs, everything that's pinging at your mind. When you don't love to train no more, you're probably done. "When you don't love the competition or look forward to it anymore, you're probably done. Honestly, I didn't need to fight that last fight against Stipe, the last two. I didn't need to. I just wanted to fight and I wasn't ready to let go. There was way too much money at the time – the money got way too good. But we did a training camp in my garage because they shut down AKA. I should've recognized it then and listened to everything." Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC) retired as an undefeated UFC lightweight champion after submitting Justin Gaethje for his third title defense at UFC 254 in October 2020. Meanwhile, former UFC welterweight champion St-Pierre (26-2 MMA, 20-2 UFC) hung up his gloves after returning from a four-year layoff to dethrone Michael Bisping and become middleweight champion at UFC 217 in November 2017.
