Georges St-Pierre, a highly accomplished former UFC champion and a major attraction during his career, understands the significant role star power plays in the sport`s success.
From a financial standpoint, the UFC is arguably performing better than ever before. Its consistent presence in the sports media landscape, driven by frequent events that often achieve record attendance figures and the anticipation of a major new broadcasting agreement, indicates a very strong position. Suggesting the organization is facing financial difficulties would not be accurate.
However, this financial health hasn`t prevented a growing feeling among fans that the overall product lacks depth, specifically noting a perceived shortage of truly compelling, top-tier fighters today. Speaking on the IMPAULSIVE podcast, “GSP” was asked about this perceived issue and agreed that work is needed to develop future fighters who can headline major events.
St-Pierre characterized Conor McGregor as a unique phenomenon, stating, “Conor McGregor, I believe, is an anomaly.” He referenced McGregor`s famous line, “Love me, hate me, but don’t ignore me,” acknowledging the unbelievable impact McGregor had. While replicating that exact level of success is challenging, GSP believes new stars will eventually rise, as “Records are made to be broken.” Yet, he doesn`t think the inability to match McGregor`s impact means the UFC currently has no stars. He mentioned fighters like Sean O’Malley, Israel Adesanya (who has lost several times), and Alex Pereira (who also recently lost) as prominent names, noting that their defeats are unfavorable for the promotion.
McGregor, whom St-Pierre put at the forefront of these names, is a former two-division champion who headlined some of the most lucrative events in combat sports history. However, his prominence has waned in recent years, with no fights since 2021 and multiple legal issues negatively affecting his reputation.
Sean O’Malley, Israel Adesanya, and Alex Pereira are all past world champions who managed to break into mainstream consciousness. Nevertheless, their recent losses in title fights have raised questions about how long the UFC can rely on them to draw large audiences.
According to St-Pierre, these kinds of losses are simply a consequence of the inherently unpredictable nature of MMA. He knows firsthand that anyone can suffer an unexpected defeat on any given night, recalling his own stunning upset knockout loss to Matt Serra. While this unpredictability is a key reason MMA is so exciting, it also means top fighters can quickly fall down the rankings.
However, GSP does not wish to see this fundamental aspect of the sport change. Instead, he hopes the UFC will focus on making the most significant possible fights happen, mentioning highly anticipated potential matchups such as Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall and Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria that fans are eager to see.
St-Pierre observed that, from a business standpoint, the primary objective of the UFC is to earn money. He acknowledged that a superstar losing is financially disadvantageous for the company. While the promotion might occasionally arrange favorable matchups to help build certain fighters, he strongly believes that a champion`s obligation is to face the number one contender. He contrasted this principle with boxing, which is often criticized because fighters maintain undefeated records by seemingly avoiding the toughest challenges.
He argued that a major reason people love mixed martial arts is precisely because champions are expected to fight the top challenger, a decision that isn`t up to the champion themselves. St-Pierre insisted that this standard, which was in place during his career, should remain: the champion must fight the mandated next opponent. He concluded by stating that the UFC should actively ensure this practice continues.
