Rory MacDonald: GSP still training as if he were preparing to fight

Rory MacDonald says Georges St-Pierre is still training as if he were a UFC champion.

Georges St-Pierre might be retired, but the former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion is still training as if he were preparing to fight.

That’s according to longtime teammate and friend Rory MacDonald, who trains with St-Pierre at Tristar Gym in Montreal, Canada.

Speaking to TSN in a recent interview, ‘The Red King’ said GSP still gives him a run for his money in the training room.

“He’s [St-Pierre] still training, he’s still improving,” MacDonald said when asked about GSP’s retirement. “He’s living life, he’s good, but he’s doing all the same hard training. Like, I’m training hard for a fight and I’ll show up at the track to do sprints, and he shows up half an hour later to do his work. So it’s like, the guy doesn’t slow down. He’s programmed for physical improvement. He’s still gaining. Even though he’s got no competition to look forward to, he’s working hard.”

St-Pierre, the former No. 1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world, announced his retirement from mixed martial arts competition in February. Head coach Firas Zahabi, however, said his prized student could return to the UFC for the right offer.

As for MacDonald, the former UFC title challenger will defend his Bellator welterweight title against Jon Fitch in the opening round of the Bellator welterweight Grand Prix, which takes place on April 27 at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. MacDonald last fought in the Bellator 206 main event, losing via technical knockout to reigning middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi.