Moments after announcing he was now a free agent, Georges St-Pierre had some choice words for his greatest naysayer.
The former UFC welterweight champion - who's terminated his 2011 contract following fruitless negotiations with the promotion - addressed president Dana White's repeated belittlement of his efforts to end a three-year hiatus in a Monday appearance on "The MMA Hour."
"When he's saying that I'm not ready to fight, there's only one person who knows if I'm ready to fight and it's myself," St-Pierre told Ariel Helwani. "Dana White doesn't know what it is to be a fighter. I know what it is to be a fighter."
GSP prefaced his comments by commending White's contribution in elevating the sport and the promotion to mainstream heights. St-Pierre went as far as partially crediting the UFC boss for his place in the annals of MMA history, and claimed he bore no ill will toward the company brass despite leaving the negotiating table without a new deal.
"I don't dislike the UFC. The UFC does what they do for their best interests. Dana White, he's the best promoter in the world. He's the greatest of all time. We wouldn't have mixed martial arts for a living if not for Dana White. We owe Dana White that. He did that for all of us. He took the UFC when it was small and he raised the bar for every one of us. Now in this situation unfortunately, he's against me because of the business interests. I don't dislike Dana White, because a big part of what I do and what I've earned is because of Dana White."
St-Pierre revealed significant progress toward a new deal had been made prior to WME-IMG purchase of the UFC late this summer, but the new owners were not as accommodating as the Fertitta brothers. Despite claiming he there were no hard feelings, St-Pierre admitted feeling hurt by the media's portrayal of his side of the negotiations.
"A lot of things have been said in the media and I try not to take things personal, but I feel a little bit attacked on a personal level when things are said like that. Saying I'm trying to manipulate the system and stuff like that. I truly believe in what I stand for. I truly believe that what we ask is totally reasonable."
According to the former champ, the new owners claimed they would have to reintroduce him to the UFC's audience following his lengthy layoff, an investment they were reluctant to make. St-Pierre found their reasoning both laughable and inaccurate.
"I don't take it personal," he said. "I found it a little bit funny, to tell you the truth, because I know it's a lie."
St-Pierre added that he believes things may have gone differently if former co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta hadn't bowed out of the discussions post-sale. Fertitta reportedly helped broker Chris Weidman's upcoming bout with Yoel Romero months after the UFC had changed hands. It appears St-Pierre was not extended the same olive branch.
