Georges St-Pierre shrugs off Michael Bisping’s insults: ‘He’s a very angry person deep down’

Georges St-Pierre and Michael Bisping couldn’t be further apart when it comes to their approach to hyping a fight.

While the UFC middleweight champion has built his reputation pulling no punches to insult his opponents before they meet in the cage, St-Pierre has typically taken a more polite and thoughtful approach in the buildup to an event.

Who could forget “GSP” lecturing an unamused Nick Diaz on the virtues of passive income ahead of their grudge match at UFC 158?

For the most part, St-Pierre and Bisping have stayed in their comfort zones ahead of their headlining title fight at UFC 217 on Nov. 4 in New York City, N.Y. Bisping has called St-Pierre a “bitch” at every opportunity, and also criticized the former welterweight champion for supposedly picking him because he thinks Bisping might be an “easy fight.”

On Thursday, St-Pierre donned a psychoanalyst’s cap to address Bisping’s insults during an appearance on SI Now:

“He’s projecting his own image,” said St-Pierre. “For him, he wants to prove that he’s more than an easy fight and he’s got a negative view of himself. He’s got a lot of holes that he cannot fill up. He’s a very angry person deep down inside, and angry fighters make a lot of mistakes.”

The typically calm St-Pierre then went on to discuss his own mental state, explaining that he is on the opposite end of the spectrum from his British rival. GSP will be competing for the first time since voluntarily stepping away from the sport four years ago, and he’s emphasized that his decision to fight again is out of passion, not necessity.

“We’re not desperate. I’m happy,” said St-Pierre. “I feel very blessed and fortunate to be in this position and it’s a moment that a few people in the world are able to live. And I’m going to live that unique moment and I will remember it for the rest of my life.

“But at the same time I need to put myself in the mindset that this unique moment, in order to make it in my favor as best as I can, I need to put in everything I got.”

See the full interview below (beginning at 16:42):