"Don't pass the torch" - Georges St-Pierre shares honest thoughts on retiring fighters, says 'you have to be selfish'

Georges St-Pierre recently shared his honest thoughts on fighters who are towards the end of their careers and find themselves competing too long. He noted that there has to be a shift in mentality and that the competitors need to take a stronger stance with how they end their respective careers.

St-Pierre is famously among the all-time greats who left the sport on his terms and on top. His decision to retire following a win and a championship reign is similar to that of Khabib Nurmagomedov, who retired as an undefeated UFC lightweight champion and never returned to the octagon since.

Former middleweight title challenger Anthony 'Lionheart' Smith recently retired from competition. But, his exit followed a TKO loss to a young up-and-comer, Zhang Mingyang, in the light heavyweight division.

During his latest appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, St-Pierre weighed in on Smith and other veterans who retired after losing to the next generation of UFC competitors. The Hall of Famer mentioned that fighters need to be more selfish and retire on their own terms rather than jeopardizing their health and post-retirement quality of life:

"You have another half of your life to live, so it's important that you stay as healthy as you can... They tell you to pass the torch. Fu*k that, don't pass the torch. Retire on your own terms, not on their terms. It's a selfish sport and you have to be selfish. And when you feel it's time to retire, retire... I don't regret it."

Check out Georges St-Pierre's comments below:

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Georges St-Pierre says fighters needs to separate themselves from their ego

Georges St-Pierre also feels the fighters need to let go of their ego and pride to make the correct decision.

During the aforementioned clip, St-Pierre mentioned that those qualities are important for a fighter to be successful, but highlighted the importance of coming to terms with retirement:

"It's my ego that wants my legacy. It's good as a fighter because you want that pride, you want that ego to carry you because it helps you to be more successful. But when you retire, you have to learn how to disassociate yourself from it. And that's what I worked on since I retired and it's very, very hard."

Check out the full episode featuring Georges St-Pierre below: