Georges St-Pierre

Born on May 19, 1981, Georges St-Pierre grew up in Saint-Isidore, Quebec, alongside his parents Jim and Paulyne. Although his childhood was far from ideal - he faced theft by classmates who stole his clothes and money at school - young Georges found solace in martial arts. He began learning Kyokushin karate at the age of seven, inspired by his father's passion for the sport and later training under a Kyokushin Karate Master to combat a troublesome bully at school.

As Georges' prowess in karate grew, so did his interest in self-defense. When his karate teacher tragically passed away, he expanded his repertoire by taking up wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, eventually adding boxing to the mix. Before stepping into the professional mixed-martial arts arena, Georges held down two unrelated jobs - working as a bouncer at a Montreal nightclub called Fuzzy Brossard in the South Shore and as a garbageman for six months to cover his school fees.

Throughout his illustrious fighting career, Georges has trained with an array of groups in numerous gyms. In preparation for his showdown with B.J. Penn at UFC 58, he honed his skills at the prestigious Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in New York City. His dedication to the sport paid off when Renzo Gracie awarded him a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on July 21, 2006. In September 2008, Georges reached another significant milestone by earning his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under the tutelage of Bruno Fernandes.