Georges St-Pierre spars with Nick Diaz ahead of UFC 158
Welterweight UFC Champion Georges St-Pierre responds to a question during a news conference Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013 in Montreal. St-Pierre will fight Nick Diaz in UFC 158 on March 16. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson) Credit: AP Photo Paul Chiasson
Georges St-Pierre does not often engage in trash talk.
Ordinarily, the mild-mannered and even-tempered Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight champion talks about each of his upcoming opponents with dignity and class. Last week, however, St-Pierre displayed another side.
Contender Nick Diaz drew St-Pierre’s ire during a national teleconference with several minutes of taunting while they discussed Saturday’s UFC 158 card — where they will meet in the main event at the Bell Centre in Montreal. The event can be seen live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. PDT.
Diaz was aggressive throughout the 40-minute call, and said St-Pierre is pampered, among other things.
“You know, you got Georges, they got somebody over there powdering his nose out, you know, and they’re going to send him off for a video shoot,” Diaz said. “You know, he’s got someone that will make a Twitter for him, now he don’t know how to talk, he don’t know how to act right.”
St-Pierre answered: “Let me tell you something, let me tell you something uneducated fool, listen to me ...” before Diaz cut him off. St-Pierre later defended himself.
“I’ve not always been like this,” he said. “I’ve not always been rich. I start from the bottom. I make myself. I work very hard to be where I am right now. And as much as I know you don’t believe this because you didn’t succeed yet and maybe you will never succeed in your life because I don’t think you’re smart enough to understand that all you should do to reach that point.”
The animosity between the two began in late 2011 when St-Pierre was scheduled to face Diaz. A knee injury sidelined St-Pierre, and Diaz dominated former champion B.J. Penn. After the fight, Diaz insinuated that St-Pierre faked his injury. St-Pierre demanded a bout with Diaz, but complications from his knee scuttled the second bout, and Diaz lost an interim title match against Carlos Condit.
Despite the war of words, St-Pierre admits Diaz earned the fight.
“I think his victory over B.J. Penn, and the way he beat B.J. Penn, solidified his position as the Number One guy,” he said. “And his fight with Carlos Condit was a very close decision that he lost, and I believe it solidifies his position as the Number One guy.”
