"Heavy is the crown, my friend"- UFC legend Georges St-Pierre shares words of wisdom to have a long career at the top with Israel Adesanya
Georges St-Pierre has given advice to Israel Adesanya about dealing with the pressure of being a UFC champion.
Adesanya has been the UFC middleweight champion since winning the interim title against Kelvin Gastelum in 2019. Although “The Last Stylebender" has become accustomed to being the champion, St-Pierre has advised him that the pressure will continue to grow.
Watch Israel Adesanya’s reaction to beating Kelvin Gastelum below:
One year ago today, Israel Adesanya defeated Kelvin Gastelum via unanimous decision (48-46, 48-46, 48-46) for the interim middleweight title at UFC 236.
The 2019 Fight Of The Year.
#UFC
https://t.co/eTWN6q5qfJ
The UFC middleweight champion sat down with St-Pierre for dinner during a YouTube video to discuss several topics. 'Rush’ had this to say about Adesanya being the champion:
"Heavy is the crown, my friend, and it's only gonna get heavier for you. I'm honest with you. I like you. I'm telling you the truth. Heavy is the crown. Nobody can understand, but it gets worse, and it adds more weight to your shoulders every fight. Every fight is bigger and bigger, and the criticism is worse, and the expectations are more and more. Keep that fire."
Being a UFC champion has plenty of benefits, but the pressure can be overbearing for most people. Adesanya’s ability to overcome that adversity and remain the middleweight champion has begun to solidify his legacy.
Watch Georges St-Pierre offer wisdom to Israel Adesanya below:
Georges St-Pierre warns Israel Adesanya to keep an eye on his inner circle
MMA is a lonely sport, but a fighter’s team, including their friends and coaches, can have a massive effect on their performance.
After discussing the pressure involved, St-Pierre had this to say about Adesanya keeping an eye on the people around him while being the champion:
"Everybody would be nice with me. Everybody will be nice with you because of what you accomplished. I see how someone is nice. How he is with the waiter. How he is with the driver. How he is with the guy in the lobby... They try to be someone they are not."
The mental aspect of being a UFC champion is crucial for Adesanya’s upcoming title defense. On November 12, ‘The Last Stylebender’ will take on Alex Pereira, who beat the middleweight champion twice in kickboxing.
If he can win, the City Kickboxing prodigy won’t have many challengers left at middleweight.
Watch a funny video recently posted by Georges St-Pierre on YouTube below: