Georges St-Pierre is one of the most intelligent mixed martial artists to grace the face of the Earth, a sentiment that reigning UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones agrees with based on his recent comment on 'GSP's' latest Instagram video. The short clip consists of a short tutorial on distance management by the Canadian.
He educates viewers on the nature of striking engagements and lateral footwork and that dictating when one's opponent can enter into range is vital to avoiding reckless pocket boxing exchanges where one's chin is exposed. This drew praise from Jones, an all-time great himself.
Check out Georges St-Pierre's instructional:
Jones appeared in the comment section of the video to speak glowingly of St-Pierre's intelligence.
"One of the best MMA minds in the history of the game"
However, fans themselves also praised St-Pierre, with one comment hailing him as a legend.
"George is a legend"
Other comments, however, were more humorous.
"Bro thinks he was a middleweight champ or something"
The comical recognition of 'GSP's' legacy continued.
"This guy thinks he's the goat GSP"
A collage of reactions can be seen below:
St-Pierre was known for being a cerebral fighter during his active days. With the equally sharp mind of Firas Zahabi behind him, 'GSP' became a game-planning force of nature, complete with wrestling skills that could compete with the world's best and a lightning-quick jab that remains incomparable.
The Canadian great retired from the sport with a legacy that is, curiously, only truly matched by Jones. While he did not retire undefeated, he avenged every loss he has ever suffered and also immortalized himself as one of the few fighters to capture UFC titles across multiple divisions.
He reigned over the promotion's welterweight division for years, racking up its record title defenses, before later submitting Michael Bisping in an all-time great pay-per-view, UFC 217, to capture middleweight gold.
Georges St-Pierre was Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov's favorite fighter
Legendary lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov once professed that it was his father's dream to watch him compete against Georges St-Pierre, who he highlighted as the late great Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov's favorite fighter. Unfortunately, the bout never came to fruition despite mutual interest.
UFC CEO Dana White was wary of granting 'GSP' the chance to dethrone yet another champion only to then vacate the title, as he had after dethroning Michael Bisping as middleweight champion. Thus, a lightweight title fight was off the table. Meanwhile, 'The Eagle' did not entertain a welterweight matchup.
Due to other complications from promotional disinterest on the UFC's part, the bout never took place, even after it was used as a last-ditch attempt by White to coax Nurmagomedov back from retirement.
