• UFC 129

St-Pierre doesn't want to become Roy Jones Jnr

ESPN staff
April 23, 2011
Georges St-Pierre is under pressure to face Anderson Silva © Getty Images
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Georges St-Pierre has used the example of Roy Jones Jnr. to explain why he may never gamble on moving up to the UFC middleweight division.

Welterweight champion St-Pierre is under severe pressure to move up to 185lbs in order to fight Anderson Silva, which would settle the debate over which fighter is the greatest pound-for-pounder in the world. If he beats Jake Shields at UFC 129 next week, that pressure will only amplify.

However, such a leap for GSP could have serious consequences, with major sponsorship deals and his future in the sport resting on his status as a UFC champion.

St-Pierre cites Jones Jnr. as an example of how playing around with body weight can disturb a career. Jones dominated the boxing terrain at light-heavyweight, winning 13 straight fights, before stepping up to win the WBA heavyweight belt. However, after dropping back down to light-heavyweight, Jones initially won before losing three on the bounce, and he was never the same fighter again.

"Right now, I am a 170-pounder," St. Pierre said. "If I were to fight at 185 pounds, it would be a complete reorientation of my career.

"We've seen in the past with boxers like Roy Jones Jnr. In my opinion, what ended Roy Jones' career-winning streak was when he went up in weight and tried to go back down. It's not the fact that he went up; it's when he tried to go back down that messed him up.

"For me, it's a good example because Roy Jones was known as one of the best of all time before he started losing. It makes me think twice sometimes [about changing] weight; it's not really going up that hurts you, sometimes it's to go [back] down."

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