As a highly successful champion and major draw in UFC history, Georges St-Pierre recognizes the critical importance of having star power.
Financially, the UFC is thriving, marked by frequent events, record attendance figures, and upcoming major media deals. Suggesting financial trouble for the organization would be unfounded.
Despite this success, some fans perceive a lack of captivating top-tier fighters. Appearing on the IMPAULSIVE podcast, GSP concurred that efforts are necessary to cultivate future main event draws.
St-Pierre described Conor McGregor as an “anomaly,” highlighting his unique ability to command attention (“Love me, hate me, but don’t ignore me”). He stated this level of impact is difficult to replicate but believes someone will eventually break his records. GSP pointed out that recent losses by prominent fighters like Sean O’Malley, Israel Adesanya, and Alex Pereira affect the star landscape.
GSP listed four key UFC stars, with McGregor being the most prominent. McGregor has headlined some of the biggest combat sports events ever, but his relevance has decreased due to not competing since 2021 and facing various legal troubles.
Sean O’Malley, Israel Adesanya, and Alex Pereira are former champions who achieved mainstream recognition. However, recent title fight defeats have raised questions about how long the UFC can depend on them to attract significant viewership.
According to St-Pierre, these losses are an inherent part of MMA`s unpredictable nature, where anyone can be defeated on any night (recalling his own upset loss to Matt Serra). While this unpredictability makes MMA appealing, it also means top names can rapidly fall from prominence.
Despite this, St-Pierre doesn`t want the core unpredictability to change. He hopes the UFC will prioritize booking major matchups, citing missed opportunities like Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall and Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria as examples.
GSP noted that the UFC`s primary objective is financial. A superstar losing is detrimental financially. While the promotion might occasionally arrange favorable matchups, the champion`s role, ideally, is to face the number one contender. He argued this commitment to meritocracy is MMA`s strength compared to boxing, where fighters often build padded undefeated records against weaker opponents. St-Pierre asserted that the champion should not have the luxury of choosing opponents but must fight the next challenger, and this fundamental aspect of MMA should be preserved, urging the UFC to uphold this standard.
