Georges St-Pierre has always been a bit vague when he explains why he stepped away from the UFC in 2013. The all-time great has mentioned things like personal things and the pressure of being the longtime welterweight champion. He has spoken out about a performance-enhancing drug problem in the sport.
There was another reason, though. One that GSP has not spoken about much until now.
In the documentary "The Hurt Business," St-Pierre admitted that part of the reason for going on sabbatical from MMA was due to his lack of desire to hurt his opponents. It's something that he had as a younger fighter, but lost.
"Critics said I was fighting more to win instead of finishing the fight and it's true," St-Pierre said. "Toward the end, I didn't have the same anger, I didn't have the same drive to hurt the guy and to finish it. And it's a fact. I tried to get it back, but it is very hard and I think the best way to get it back for me is step out, because it's more an emotion thing."
St-Pierre, 35, is currently planning a comeback and he's hoping to back in the Octagon at UFC 206 on Dec. 10 in Toronto, pending coming to terms on a contract with the UFC and new owners WME-IMG. GSP has entered into the USADA drug-testing pool, so he'd be able to compete before the end of the year.
"The Hurt Business" was filmed before St-Pierre laid out a firm plan for a comeback. The documentary debuts in theaters Sept. 29. It is directed by Vlad Yulin and narrated by Kevin Costner.
Despite GSP's recent comments about a comeback, UFC president Dana White has gone on record repeatedly saying that he does not believe St-Pierre will ever come back, because he no longer has the drive to fight. GSP said on UFC Tonight last week that White "doesn't know anything" about him.
"Dana White makes a lot of comments, but Dana White always will do what serves him best on a business standpoint," St-Pierre said on "The Hurt Business." "He didn't want me to leave like this. He wanted me to come back, to get people to tune in, to make me come back. But it was time for me to take a break."
And a good deal of why he wanted to take a break was his waning urge to injure his opponents. It's not the most comfortable thing about MMA for many, but it is a reality. In this sport, the name of the game is to inflict damage and St-Pierre was not willing to do that as much as he had been in the past.
"I was fighting more for winning instead of for going through the guy," St-Pierre said for the film. "I needed to step out to let my hunger go up."