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Throughout his illustrious career, Georges St-Pierre has had numerous classic battles against some of the best welterweights in the UFC. Recently, GSP revealed which fight was the most memorable for him.
In an episode of UFC Unfiltered, ex-UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra asked Georges St-Pierre if there was a particular fight that he fondly remembers. The French-Canadian legend admitted to Serra that their championship clash at UFC 83 was the bout that stood out to him the most.
"I gotta be completely honest with you because you beat me and you knocked me out it was a very… It was, to me, a big obstacle to overcome. Because being knocked out, you know, you have to step over that obstacle at that point where I’m at. When you come back from it, you always question yourself."
Several years ago, Matt Serra took the welterweight title from Georges St-Pierre, handing him his second career loss via knockout at UFC 69. And according to GSP, that particular defeat messed with his confidence and well-being.
"I saw a sports psychologist at the time because the only thing that I wanted to do after I lost to you – because I’m a very competitive person, very proud person – I wanted to get back immediately for a rematch and have a chance to redeem myself."
However, Georges St-Pierre would have to wait a year before he could get his revenge on Serra. Instead of being awarded an immediate rematch, GSP had to go through top contenders Josh Koscheck and Matt Hughes.
Georges St-Pierre on overcoming Matt Serra
The retired UFC legend also revealed how his sports psychologist helped him move on from his hang-ups about losing to Matt Serra.
"He made me carry a brick with your name," Georges St-Pierre told Matt Serra. "I wrote with a chalk, I wrote the name Serra on it. And I was carrying this brick in my training bag. This is a true story."
According to Georges St-Pierre, his psychologist made him realize that holding grudges will hurt an athlete physically by making him carry a heavy brick. And once he finally understood that, Georges St-Pierre said he chose to let go of the grudge by throwing the brick in Quebec's Saint Lawrence River.
GSP's sweet revenge
Georges St-Pierre picked his rematch win over Matt Serra as the most memorable fight of his career. However, GSP revealed that getting a victory back over Serra isn't the only reason why UFC 83 holds a special place in his heart.
"The most memorable fight for me was my win against you because it was the first time also I fought in Montreal, in front of my family. And for me it was also a sweet revenge because before I got to the UFC, I was seen as a barbarian. I was not respected as a legit athlete in Montreal, Canada."
Georges St-Pierre revealed that after beating Serra in his hometown, he finally earned the respect of local fans and the Canadian media when he broke the Bell Center's attendance record, overthrowing NHL team Montreal Canadiens.
Since losing to Serra in 2007, Georges St-Pierre went on a dynastic title reign which only ended when he retired in 2013. GSP returned to the Octagon in 2017, beating Michael Bisping for the UFC middleweight title. However, he never got the chance to defend the title as he went back into retirement in 2019.
