Issue 110
January 2014
In this month...the history of mixed martial arts retold through the pages from FO’S archives January 2009
Why Georges St Pierre’s retirement talk means he’s staying true to his word
For our issue released in January 2009, we asked UFC welterweight champion Georges St Pierre where he saw himself in 10 years. “I really don’t know,” he told us exclusively. “All I know is that the day that I don’t wake up smiling, I’ll quit.”
Five years later people are shocked to hear the second most dominant UFC champion ever (behind Anderson Silva), who has been fighting non stop since 2007 for one welterweight title or another, may want to put his career on hold. When really the French-Canadian all-rounder expressed the possibility to FO in 2009.
Prior to his 14th welterweight championship bout, against big-punching Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 in November, St Pierre’s trainers, and the man himself, were hinting ‘Rush’ may make an announcement about his future following the fight. After taking a controversial split decision, St Pierre hesitated before telling the Las Vegas crowd, and the world, he wanted to “step away” from the sport and “go away for a little bit.” He said it was for personal reasons and elaborated at the post-fight press conference that he “can’t sleep at night.”
He told reporters: “I’m going crazy. I have issues and I need to get out for a while. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I feel like I’m leaving everything out now, but I need to leave part of my life personal. I need to get out for a little bit, and that’s it.”
It surprised fighters, surprised fans, and it even surprised UFC president Dana White. But as abrupt as it may have seemed, Georges had been leaving clues ever since his 2009 conversation with Fighters Only.
Back then he explained to us: “You know, I don’t have to fight for a living. I fight because I want to, because I like to challenge myself. I have a college education. It’s something I do because I really like it. I wake up every day with a big smile on my face.”
Considering all the talk of being unable to sleep, perhaps what in 2009 seemed like a minor remark about waking up happy wasn’t so minor after all. Rumors about St Pierre retiring have been unceasing for years. After all that he’s done, and all that he’s said, should anyone be surprised he may be following through?
Elsewhere in the January 2009 issue
WHEN IT REIGNS IT POURS
“Though (Miguel) Torres appears to be in for a long stint as king of the 135lb fighters, there are still a pack of hungry challengers waiting in the wings.” It appears that although our January 2009 prediction – made after then-36-1 Torres retained his WEC bantamweight belt for the second time – was incorrect, we actually foresaw the future anyway. After that fight, Torres retained his title once more before his career succumbed to a string of explosive 135lb fighters, initiated by a shock KO loss to Brian Bowles that started a 3-6 run.
CAN’T STOP, WON’T STOP
Back in our January 2009 issue, Marcus Davis told us he would only keep fighting for a maximum of three years. “I’ll definitely be involved in MMA,” the then-UFC welterweight told us exclusively, “but, like I said, there’s no way I’m going to carry on fighting.” Now, 13 fights and near enough four years on from that statement, Davis is still slipping on the gloves for Bellator.
IRISH PRIDE
In our issue from January 2009 we interviewed young Irish fighter Tom Egan on account of the 20-year-old having just signed a four-fight UFC contract. By rights, he should have been the first fighter from the Emerald Isle to make a splash in MMA’s biggest promotion. (A trouncing at Dublin’s UFC 93 at the hands of John Hathaway spoiled that.) Perhaps it’s ironic that the only Irish fighter anyone can talk about these days is Conor McGregor considering each started the other off in MMA when they were both school kids.
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