Georges St. Pierre Talks About Destroying B.J. Penn, Life in the Octagon

By Bryan Tucker - Executive Editor

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Georges St. Pierre has beaten B.J. Penn before, but can he do it again Saturday night?

The UFC welterweight champion has been on the receiving end of a verbal barrage by his brash opponent leading up to the fight - mostly on their reality show UFC Primetime: Georges St. Pierre vs. B.J. Penn.

The talented star gave FanHouse an exclusive interview Wednesday, just days before his anticipated showdown at UFC 94 where we discussed his childhood, the big match and his possible future career.

FanHouse: What did you learn from your first fight with B.J. Penn (a split-decision win for GSP at UFC 58)?
Georges St. Pierre: B.J. Penn has incredible reaction time, he's very fast, very good hands and a great uppercut. It's more about his skills you know, but this fight I'm more well-prepared and it's going to be my fight.

FH: Are you surprised what B.J. has been saying about this fight -- about how he wants to kill you?
GSP: He has said a lot of things. When we step in the Octagon, in our mind we are going to fight to the death, but there's a referee to stop the fight. If he said it or not, it doesn't make me more nervous. It's a fight and we have a job to do. My job is going to be to destroy him, and he's going to try to do the same thing.

FH: What is it like to step in the Octagon?
GSP: It's pretty intense. It's a feeling I can't really explain. It's something you need to live. You need to experiment to understand it.

FH: What do you think of your experience with UFC Primetime?
GSP: The show is pretty nice with all the set-up and things like that. But the thing is the camera crew sometimes they talk to you and try to make you talk you know what I mean. So me I know their game. It's been a long time since I've done this, but B.J. I think he got himself caught up a little in the hype a little bit. Maybe the camera guys tried to make him talk and that's what happened. He just lost his mind when he answered back.


FH: Do you feel you have been accurately portrayed?
GSP: A little bit. To tell the truth, they did a great job as far as entertaining people. They made their own story. It was true what they showed, but in a way, they made it a little bit their own story to make their show more interesting.

FH: A lot has been made on the show of your childhood, how you were being picked on as a kid and how it led to you start doing mixed martial arts. What was your childhood like, and do you have any examples of what happened, and what led you down this path?
GSP: Growing up I had a lot of problems. Martial arts kept me in the good way. Do you know what I mean? If I wouldn't have done martial arts, I would have been on the bad side of fighting. Now, I am happy everything went well for me.

FH: Have you seen any of those kids that picked on you since you became a UFC champion?
GSP: It's already happened that I have seen one. The funny thing is that they used to beat on me back on the day, but now they can't even look at me in the eye. I don't have any anger towards them. It's done.

FH: I see you are supposed to be in a movie soon. What was that experience like?
GSP: I have already shot the scene in that movie (Never Surrender) that is coming out, but I actually have another one that I'm going to do after my fight.

FH: What's that one about?
GSP: I don't have the title of it, and I didn't even look at the script. There's a fighting scene where I'm a villain and I'm going to get my ass kicked.


FH: Now is that something you want to do the future -- acting?
GSP: Maybe after my career, but right now fighting is my priority.

FH: How have you improved since the last time you faced B.J. Penn?
GSP: I'm way more improved than I used to be. I'm going to have a chance to show everybody Saturday night.

FH: This is the first time you've had a rematch against somebody you haven't lost to. Do you think that will be an advantage or a disadvantage?
GSP: It doesn't matter for me. I've never been so motivated for a fight. I never wanted to win so bad and it's going to be great.

FH: Do you think we will be seeing you do a backflip or two Saturday night?
GSP: It depends. B.J. is a very good opponent, and I might be very, very tired.

FH: How long do you plan on competing in the UFC?
GSP: As long as it keeps me at peace. I like my lifestyle. The day that I'm tired, I'm just going to do something else. It could be tomorrow or 10 years, I don't know yet.

Read More: b.j.penn, georgesst.pierre, ufc 94, ufc94, front page, B.J. Penn (MMA), Georges St. Pierre (MMA)

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