Georges St-Pierre may go down as one of the greatest mixed martial artists in the history of the sport. As multiple MMA writers continue to speculate whether or not he is going to return to the sport, he has taken on quite a different role. Instead of letting his fists do the talking, GSP has become a spokesman of sorts for the conversations that much of the MMA world has not wanted to discuss. It would be vital to see him stay in this position, regardless of whether he returns to competition or not.
The controversy surrounding GSP stepping away from the cage started even before he announced his time away, right after taking a controversial win over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167. Before he could even get out of the cage, he was stammering when trying to decide whether or not he was going to compete anymore. This led to UFC President Dana White claiming that the fighter “owed” it to the sport to give Hendricks a return bout (via MMA Weekly).
That moment can be considered the spark that began to sour “Rush's” relationship with the UFC. Soon after, he was criticizing the organization for its inability to remove PEDs from the realm of competition.
It's one of the reasons why I stopped," St-Pierre told RDS.ca. (a French-Canadian news outlet, translation via USA Today). "Not really to [teach] them a lesson, because it penalizes me, too. But I wanted to do something for the sport that I love. I see the direction in which it goes, and I think it makes no sense. This is stupid."
In August, an interview with Bloody Elbow revealed a number of other issues that St-Pierre was willing to discuss out in the open, such as his stance on a fighter's union.
“I believe it will come someday in MMA, not because things are bad right now but because it’s just part of the normal evolution of all major sports” St-Pierre said. “I’m not a 'politician' and people know that I’m not a confrontational person or someone who likes to be in front, so it would be hard for me to lead that kind of initiative. But I will never be against something that is good for the fighters.”
By his own admission in said interview, St-Pierre was never the type of individual to get out in front of situations such as these. But the fact that he is standing up now is an excellent move, and he should continue to do so, whether or not he comes back to competition.
Unlike many other fighters, St-Pierre is one of the biggest stars in the sport. His crossover appeal has led to many other opportunities, and the fact that he can step away on his own terms shows how much he has grown. In doing so, he's amassed a large following of fans who would not be quick to turn their backs on him. As seen in the past, the UFC is smart to discredit fighters who have stepped out of line, but they would have a difficult time doing so with St-Pierre. But that wouldn't stop them from trying.
“The thing that’s bothered him his entire career, he just threw it back on all the other guys that are fighting,” White said in a report by MMA Junkie. “Which is unfair to the guys that aren’t using anything. Everything that Georges St-Pierre said is a little kooky.”
Still, St-Pierre has never found himself in the negative views due to a failed drug test or public misstep. Having that background would give him much more credibility if he were to continue speaking against things that he sees going on in the sport.
Throughout the history of sports, change has come when athletes took the onus to stand for something different. Major League Baseball had Kurt Flood; perhaps Georges St-Pierre will be remembered in the same way if he keeps down this path.
