MMA icon Georges St-Pierre recently shared a gripping anecdote on the Pound 4 Pound podcast with Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo.
In particular, he described how he went gorilla trekking in Rwanda and was chased by a silverback gorilla. Usman and Cejudo were both surprised. However, they burst into laughing as GSP jokingly recounted how terrified he had been during his brief but dramatic encounter with a very strong wild animal.
Recalling the intensity of the moment, St-Pierre vividly describes the gorilla’s approach towards him. He said: “I actually got chased by a silverback gorilla. I was in Rwanda, I did gorilla trekking. He looked at me, he comes, he went towards me. I get out of the way and I put my knees on the floor like this and I was like, man, I was like, ‘Please, please. ‘ And then I look, he ‘s not in front of me.”
As the silverback gorilla advanced, St-Pierre’s instincts kicked in. With adrenaline coursing through his veins, he found himself pleading for mercy, dropping to his knees in a desperate attempt to avoid confrontation.
Rather than attacking, the gorilla perceived St-Pierre as a non-threat. He deliberately exposed his vulnerable back to him.
Reflecting on the encounter, St-Pierre expressed gratitude that the situation didn’t escalate further.
Acknowledging the sheer power of the wild animal, he admitted: “I don ‘t think my Karate and Jiu-Jitsu would have been useful if the situation with the Silverback Gorilla had escalated. Thanks God!.”
Despite having a comparatively low amount of submission and knockout victories, Georges St-Pierre is a very accomplished karateka and Brazilian jiu-jitsu grappler. Most fans remember him as one of the sport’s most prolific wrestlers. He has a third degree black belt in Kyokushin Karate.
Also, he has a first-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The rank has been given to him by fifth-degree black belt and former world champion Brazilian jiu-jitsu prodigy Bruno Fernandes. GSP obtained his first stripe in 2011 after originally obtaining his black belt in 2008.
