UFC's Georges St-Pierre Tells Us How to Prepare Like A Champ
For athletes, being in tip-top physical shape is very important. But according to this UFC champ, it takes more than that to compete and win.
To outperform, Georges St-Pierre told Cheddar in an interview on Cheddar Wednesday, that he makes sure that he trains in three categories: physical, tactical, and technical. The middleweight champion is fresh of a titular win at UFC 217 from last Saturday.
“Confidence of a competitor comes from how he prepares himself, and I was very well prepared,” he said. “It’s a little bit like when you study for an exam. If you studied well, you’re very confident that the exam will go well.”
While St-Pierre acknowledges that preparation does not ensure winning, he says it’s required to win.
The martial arts fighter told Cheddar that it’s imperative to view all three components of his training regimen as complementary to each other.
Mental preparation, or the tactical aspect, is about clarity, and focusing on things that the athlete can control. He told Cheddar that a common mistake among athletes is focusing on other people.
Winners don't focus on their fans or critics, he says, but on their opponents instead. He encourages athletes to focus only on what they can control, “especially leading up to a fight.”
On the flip side, the physical preparation or being in shape, is the foundation, according to St-Pierre.
Technicality is one’s ability to understand and excel in the sport, ie, knowing things such as chokes or counterattack strategies.
The combination of these three elements ultimately results in one thing, St-Pierre says: focusing on yourself.
According to The Wall Street Journal, four U.S. gymnasts, Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, and Maggie Nichols, penned a letter to Congress asking them to break up the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee board of directors for allegedly turning a blind eye to the sexual abuse committed by team doctor Larry Nassar.
The Drone Racing League kicked off its 2021-2022 world championship season this week. Spanning across 14 different locations over the course of the year, 12 of the world's best drone pilots will be racing against each other to bring home the title. Drone racing has grown in popularity over the past year, with the Drone Racing League seeing an uptick of nearly 200 percent average viewership, 90 percent in virtual drone racing participation and 60 percent fanbase growth over social media. Rachel Jacobson, President of the Drone Racing League, discusses the future of the sport and why she thinks drone racing will soon be on par with traditional sports.
Bill Enright, Editorial Lead for Gambling and Fantasy Content at Sports Illustrated, shares his insight into the strategy behind betting on NFL futures, such as who will win the Super Bowl or MVP award.
Sponsored by BetMGM
Jeff Stoneback, Director of Trading at BetMGM, discusses his betting insights for Super Bowl LVI futures, and says a pair of NFC East teams could make some noise come playoff time.
Sponsored by BetMGM
The final Grand Slam tennis tournament of 2021 will be lacking some of its biggest stars including Venus and Serena Williams, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal. However, with legendary names missing from the court, it could provide an opportunity for future superstars to shine. Jon Wertheim, a senior writer at Sports Illustrated, joined Cheddar to discuss the fallout from the cancellations. "This is tennis' version of the NBA after [Michael] Jordan," he said. "Some Kobe [Bryant] or some LeBron [James] will come along, and we'll have new champions to cheer for."
Cheddar Bets, sponsored by BetMGM, is a first-of-its-kind look at the intersection of sports betting and financial markets with insider intel from BetMGM's oddsmakers.
