Thread: UFC’s Joe Rogan Believes Georges St-Pierre Has Suffered Brain Damage, Should Retire

COMMENTARY | It should have been a joyful moment. UFC champion Georges St-Pierre had just retained the belt after a close fight with Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 on Nov. 16 in Las Vegas. But St-Pierre did not appear himself, especially as he discussed needing "to go away for a little bit" with announcer Joe Rogan inside the Octagon after the decision was announced.


St-Pierre looked confused, emotional, and unsure as he searched for the right words, and Rogan, who has worked for the UFC since 1997, believes it has to do with more than just "personal issues."

In an interview on The Opie & Anthony Show (via FightersOnlyMag.com), Rogan said he believes St-Pierre has suffered brain damage from his fights and should seriously consider retiring.

"I think Georges should retire. One of the reasons I think Georges should retire is he was on my podcast and he was talking about being abducted by aliens," Rogan said. "I was going, 'You think you've been abducted by aliens?' He starts talking about missing time. He started talking about driving his car and all of a sudden he's at home and he has no idea how he got there. I think it's head kicks [making him forget things].

"That fight [with Hendricks], he had some serious memory loss. I think he's taken too many shots. An interesting statistic is that Georges has taken more punches and kicks in the last three fights than any of his fights, ever. In fact, 50 percent of the shots he's taken his entire career were in the last three fights. I think he should get out. I know the UFC probably doesn't want to hear me say that. I know that could be a huge rematch."

It's a frightening concept and adds a new wrinkle into post-UFC 167 speculation about GSP's future. No one can question the dangers associated with mixed martial arts, but Rogan's comments come at a time when concussions and brain trauma are at the forefront of athletic concerns.

In August, the National Football League paid out $765 million to settle a lawsuit filed by 75 former players citing the harmful effects of brain injuries suffered during their careers. And that's in the NFL, where athletes have protective equipment to help curtail such injuries. No one can dispute the violent impact that football players endure each day on the field, however, they aren't repeatedly taking overhand rights, uppercuts, or leg kicks to the head.

Unlike the NFL, where protective equipment is constantly evolving in an effort to keep athletes safe, what can be done in MMA?

Elite wrestler Jordan Burroughs, an Olympic gold medalist, recently made headlines when, after contemplating competing in MMA after the 2016 Olympics, he wrote on Twitter: "MMA is brutal. Great sport, but not for me. I will never step foot in the Octagon."

St-Pierre (25-2-0, eight KO/TKOs), who hasn't finished a fight since B.J. Penn's corner threw in the towel in the fourth round at UFC 94 in 2009, has literally taken that brutality on the chin longer than any other fighter in UFC history. "Rush" has won nearly half his fights by decision and has logged a promotion-record 5 hours, 28 minutes, and 12 seconds inside the Octagon. Penn is second with 5:03.51, followed by Tito Ortiz at 5:00:53. For reference, GSP has spent nearly three hours in the cage since UFC 94 fighting five-rounders with the best welterweights in the world.

And his latest fight proved to be his biggest challenge. "Oh yeah, without a doubt my toughest fight," St-Pierre told Rogan after the bout. "I lost memory a little bit in the fight. I couldn't see with one of my eyes. He really messed me up. I need a vacation right now."

St-Pierre has already put his stamp on the sport through his welterweight dominance. He has defended the belt nine times and has won 12 consecutive fights. He doesn't have anything left to prove.

Perhaps Rogan is right. Maybe GSP should retire. It may prove to be a good decision -- and the safest one.
St-Pierre deserves to be remembered for his accomplishments in the Octagon, not what he sustained while doing it. But that's his call.