Firas Zahabi: We’ll see if GSP still has the fire after two or three more fights
Georges St-Pierre has been in the news an alarming rate as of late, and he’s stated repeatedly that being around the media begins to wear on him. He knows it’s all part of being a high-profile UFC Champion.
However, news comes this week that GSP might not continue this rigorous schedule for much longer. His head trainer Firas Zahabi spoke up to Sherdog Radio about the situation:
“His training camps are not sustainable forever. His training camps are very difficult. I’ve done a lot of training camps. I could tell you the energy, time and money and hours spent doing a GSP training camp is ridiculous.”
“It’s borderline insane. There’s a lot of effort going into preparing him for his fights.”
“Can he live this lifestyle for another four or five years? I don’t know. Because it’s not a balanced lifestyle. It’s not a balanced lifestyle for him.”
Not surprising words from Zahabi, who toils long hours to help make GSP one of the world’s most well-rounded athletes. There’s no doubt it takes a huge toll on GSP and everyone involved.
There are a few top-notch UFC Welterweights who are looking to become champion at 170, and GSP knows Johny Hendricks deserves a shot at the belt. Demian Maia and Jake Ellenberger also come to mind. If and when GSP does fight these top-ranked opponents, who knows where he is headed after that? Zahabi is unsure himself, and continued on:
“He’s going to have to make that choice one fight at a time. Does he want to go through another training camp? Right now at this time, yes, for sure. There’s no doubt in my mind he wants to do another one.”
“But down the line, two or three more training camps, is he still going to want to do it? That’s up to him. Does he still have the fire and the passion? We’ll see.”
Georges St-Pierre is one of the best fighters to ever step into an MMA arena. The notion that he has cleaned out the 170 lb. division is long past, with fighters seemingly coming out of the woodwork to call him out for a title shot.
However, the preparation for these bouts is long, intense, expensive, and draining. Some believe there’s much more left for Georges St-Pierre to prove, others may believe his career is an impressive body of work where it stands.
Will St-Pierre call it a career after a few more fights against top opposition? He can obviously still dominate some of the world’s finest fighters, silencing the critics by handily destroying both Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz.
Still, others thought he tired late against Diaz and may be losing his edge on the competition. Will it be GSP’s time sooner than later, or will he continue to beat the world’s best with more one-sided wins?
