GSP says he is motivated by fear as he enters the cage

Georges St. Pierre (24-2 MMA, 18-2 UFC) is the long-time UFC welterweight champion, the biggest draw in the promotion, and has millions of fans.

During a recent interview with Inside MMA, the welterweight champ was asked how he normally feels when walking to the cage, about to face off with someone else that wants to take his belt and everything he’s worked so hard for?

Here is what GSP had to say on the subject:

“I’m scared. Before a fight, I doubt about myself. I’m scared.”

…

“I try to be confident, but deep down inside, I’m afraid. I’m afraid to get knocked out, afraid to get humiliated, afraid to have done all that work and put all that effort for nothing, and not be as good as people expect me to be. That’s why I’m afraid.”

GSP, who was on the show promoting his New York Times bestselling book The Way of the Fight, made it clear that it’s not the guy across the cage that he’s afraid of:

“It’s not really being afraid of my opponent. I’m afraid of not performing the best as I should. And I think it’s the same fear that keep me sharp, keep my reaction time better, and make me perform better.”

GSP has taken a fair amount of critisism due to his lack of finsishes inside the octagon, but there is no doubting that the Canadian star is one of the best mixed martial arts fighters in the world today.