UFC 154 pre-fight press conference highlights + video

The UFC held the pre-fight press conference today in anticipation for Saturday’s UFC 154: St-Pierre vs. Condit event.

The press conference took place at the New City Gas in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

In attendance were UFC Commentator Jon Anik, along with main event fighters Georges St-Pierre and Carlos Condit.

Check out the highlights below thanks to MMAmania.com.

Georges St-Pierre

I feel like I’ve changed a lot of things in my life and I found the fire, a new fire I didn’t have before. I appreciate what I have more and I’m more pumped up than ever.
I always have doubt, I’m always scared but my confidence comes from how I prepare myself. I couldn’t have done more than I did and I’m more prepared than I could be. I did everything that’s possible I could have done to be the best I can be and I put it all together and I’m happy I’m there.
You can be in shape but being in fighting shape is something very different. When you haven’t done something for a long time, you lose efficiency. It took maybe a month but I got it together and now I feel better than I was before I got hurt.
I’m a very proud person and I didn’t look good in training when I first got back and I’m used to being the best and when I came back, it didn’t happen that way. I got very shocked and it’s more a pride thing and that’s what made me push through that wall and now I’m better than I was.
I don’t feel pressure. I’ve been changing a lot of things in my training. When you think a lot, you miss opportunities. I want to let it flow.
It’s a tough task. I want to work hard and there’s always a first time for everything (in regards to knocking out Condit).
I will have the butterflies, but the key is making those butterflies fly in formation. I don’t want to come back and fight an easier guy. I want a tough guy and I’m very happy to be here and fighting him.
I’m always at my best when I’m charged up.
What makes Condit so good is he’s a very smart guy. He’s a thinking fighter and that’s why he’s so good. His entourage, his coaches are very good. He’s surrounded by smart people and over his athletic ability, his intelligence is why he’s so successful.
I don’t go to Jackson’s often. I think one time and he (Condit) was there.
This is the first time where I brought the trainers in to Montreal instead of going out to them. It costs more, but it was worth it.
I think he did a great fight. In my book, I was there seeing it live and I gave him the win for that fight. I believe he did very well. I think he hit Nick much more than Nick hit him. A lot of guys would have fallen from that kick to the head but Nick is very tough. I loved that fight. It was a great fight of the night.
I have something to prove to myself. I want to prove I’m the best in the world. To me, the best is Carlos but it’s up to me to prove that I’m better than him.
My legacy, I want to be the best at what I do. The division has changed quite a while. Carlos is a top guy and I’m very excited to fight him for the title.
I want to be the best. The title is important because it means you’re the best in the division. it’s a new guy in Carlos. He’s very experienced. He has more fights than I do. Fighting new people is good because it’s important. You don’t want to fight the same guy all the time. It’s very motivating to fight Carlos.
I think the lack of motivation came from being overtrained. When you’re overtrained, you don’t feel like anything. I was tired, had personal problems, a lot of things going on at the same time. I made changes in my life and came back with more motivation.
I’m concentrating on welterweights right now. Let me get some breathing room. I’ve just come back and you’re already talking about a superfight against Anderson Silva.
I did not grow up in Montreal, but the fact is Montreal is the biggest urban city close to where I grew up. It allowed my friends and family to see me fight live. Carlos and I will be in the cage together and nobody else will interfere with what’s happening. I am focusing on the fight.
I’m going to try and go in there and not think too much, let my instincts take over. When you think too much, you overanalyze and you miss opportunities. I just want to let it flow.
It’s a very popular sport here. Now that hockey is in lockout, it’s even bigger. The crowd will pump me up but I’m focused on Carlos Condit. We’re two competitors. No stories, no emotion, they try to make it that way, but I focus on the essential. I want to be the best, he wants to be the best and we’ll fight to see who’s the undisputed champion.
It’s always dangerous. There’s always big buzz. I don’t focus on that right now.
I brought a Muay Thai guy from Thailand. For me, personally, I cannot be a Muay Thai guy. My background is karate. I’ve done it for more than 10 years. It’s hard to try to change. That’s not good. You try to learn from Muay Thai, see what you can take from it and implement it into your game.
MMA is like when you play golf. All the repetitive movements are things I’ve done before. When he does a move, I’ll be instinctively reacting. Once the ball’s in the air in golf, you can’t change anything. i shouldn’t be thinking too much. I should be following my instincts and my reflexes. Trust my training. It’s better to be on cruise control. I’ve worked on very specific issues and I will be reacting. If I was afraid about my leg, I wouldn’t be in the ring.
We have so many other great fighters here, Rory MacDonald, Francis Carmont. Maybe for headlining the card, a bit, but now that I’m back, the sport is popular regardless of if I’m there or not.
Carlos is much more improved in his movements. He’s got more power in his punches and he’s not as orthodox as he was in the past. He’s got a lot more substance right now. He’s a lot more difficult to prepare for than in the past.
I’m always nervous for a fight. I’m always scared. That keeps my sharp. I see this fight bigger than it is and not smaller than it is. I did all my homework. I’m the best I could be. There’s nothing I could tell you that I could have done better. That’s where my confidence comes from.
I don’t have Greg but Carlos don’t have Greg either so we’re equal.
Stand-up or the ground, whatever opportunity presents itself.
I’m 120%. I’m ready to go. I wouldn’t be here if I wan’t 100 percent.

Carlos Condit

I would say that my chances this time around are substantially better. I’ve had a year to work on my game, work on skills I’ll need to compete with Georges. I feel like I’ll have a much better fight this time around.
I would not say it was the most satisfying win. I would have liked to finish, I always like to finish. I feel like it showed an evolution in my game, showed different aspects and that I’m not a one trick pony. It showed I can implement a gameplan. Hopefully this fight I can bring some of that but a newer, better version of those skills.
Nick Diaz is known for his endurance and his pace. I was able to match that pace if not exceed it. Georges is known for his endurance so that was a great fight for Georges.
Georges is one of the best in the business when it comes to the takedown. His timing is impeccable. I have a well-rounded game so I’m confident wherever the fight goes. I’ll do my thing and not be so concerned about the takedowns.
I see Georges St. Pierre as the champion, one of the most dominant fighters who ever got in the Octagon. Until I beat him, he’s the champion.
This isn’t the first time I’ve been in this situation. Ultimately, the fans in St. Pierre’s hometown can’t go in there with him. It all comes down to who’s better prepared on that night.
First of all, the UFC never offered me or my management any other fight. They made it clear from the beginning they wanted me to fight Georges. Personally, Georges is a guy I want to fight.
We’ll find out on Saturday night, but from reports and everything I’ve heard, Georges is better than ever. I’m excited. I want Georges at his best.
A lot of fighters Georges fought in the past were wanting to be on top. They’re not so much not minding being on the bottom or trying to submit from the bottom. I’m different.
I want to be in big fights. I want to be in fights with the most fights, the most buzz around it. Georges St. Pierre’s comeback fight in his hometown was that fight. I would have liked to have fought in the meantime, but ultimately, I have to do what was best for my career.
I do my best to leave work at home. Work when it’s time to work and do the other things in my life when it’s time. I thought less about Georges during this training camp in this last year than I did about improving myself and my skills, to be the best I could be. Sometimes I’d sit and watch tape on Georges and other times, we’d sit with coaches and find out advantages, where we could focus on some things.
I don’t feel disrespected. As a fan, it’s an intriguing fight, but first me and Georges have to mix it up. I plan on spoiling those plans. I have one singular goal. it’s to unify this belt. Everything else is of little significance to me right now.
Georges is a fighter I’ve admired for a long time, but he’s where I want to be. He’s cemented a legacy in the world. That’s what I want. All admiration aside, I’m coming to take that from him.
I’m not gonna fight carelessly. Going out there just throwing caution to the wind is not the smartest thing against a dangerous fighter liek Georges. I’m gonna implement a tactical gameplan. At different times in the fight, I’m going to press more and see what happens. We’ll see how it goes.
In my experience, the travel, the hotel, is all part of a lead-up to a fight. That’s something I’m used to. On top of that, you feel pressure in your hometown, being the headliner, having to represent. That’s my experience. I can’t speak for Georges and how he feels. That’s how it was for me.
Georges has always been a benchmark. He’s been at the top of the sport. I’ve always been honing my skills to maybe one day fight him, but that was a far out dream. When Georges was fighting those big fights early in his career, I was starting my fight in casinos in New Mexico. It was something I couldn’t have even imagined.
I’ve grown quite a bit as a fighter. I’ve had skills and abilities for a long time but over the last few years, I’ve been able to put it together. My skills haven’t grown much, but my ability to implement them has.
The nerves come and go. Leading up to the fight, it’s a bit of an emotional roller coaster. It’s a big fight, but I feel like I’ve got less to lose. The other stuff, I’ve prepared and I really feel confident in my skills and my hard work leading up to the fight. I’ve just got to go there and do the best of my ability.
It was definitely a change. Greg has been a huge part of my camp the last couple of fights. He was missed. I had to bring in 2-3 guys to take the place of Greg to replace his expertise in training fighters. It’ll be nice next time to have him back.
Stand-up is where I could finish the fight best.
Georges has this status, but he’s also a man. He eats, breathees and puts his pants on one leg at a time like anybody else. You never know what’s going to happen but I feel confident. I’m excited to get in, put on a show for the fans here in Montreal and do what I do best which is put on a great fight.