Randy Couture: St. Pierre frustrated with media over Olympics story

By Brett Okamoto

Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010 | 2:40 p.m.

UFC light heavyweight Randy Couture said fellow fighter Georges St. Pierre has become irritated with the media after reports he was considering leaving the organization to pursue a bid for the 2012 Canadian Olympic wrestling team.

St. Pierre met with a group of reporters Saturday prior to the UFC 108 event at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

During that interview, St. Pierre said competing in the Olympics had been a longtime dream of his and there was a chance he might leave mixed martial arts temporarily to focus on wrestling.

After spending time with St. Pierre at a recent appearance the two made for Affliction, however, Couture said the welterweight champ was frustrated with the way the media ran with the story.

"I talked to him at length at an appearance this weekend and he's a little frustrated with the media, frankly," Couture said. "He said that they are blowing this whole thing out of proportion.

"His response to a media question was, 'Well, if I was going to do that I would have to take a year off to concentrate only on wrestling.' He didn't say he was going to. He just said he would have to commit to it 100 percent."

While St. Pierre never once said he wanted to leave, he did say that he been thinking about the decision "everyday" and that he was "50/50" between staying and going.

Couture said he got the impression that him leaving would be unlikely.

"I don't think he wants to do that," Couture said. "He's a fighter and he realizes he's a fighter. He's obviously done a great job with wrestling in the fight game. But first and foremost he feels like a fighter and he thinks the whole thing has been blown out of proportion by the media."

St. Pierre successfully has defended the welterweight title in his last three fights and will attempt to do it again when he meets Dan Hardy at UFC 111 in March.

The 28-year-old fighter is best known for his wrestling skills in the octagon, but admitted that he would have to develop those skills to stand a chance at making the Olympics by 2012.

Couture, who was a three-time Olympic alternate for the U.S. in Greco-Roman wrestling, says he believes St. Pierre would be very successful in a quest for the freestyle Canadian team, but still believes from their conversation he won't leave the UFC.

"I didn't get that impression from him but who knows?" Couture said. "If he applied himself and really wanted to achieve that goal, I know he could make the Canadian Olympic team. He's that good of an athlete. If he wanted to spend the next year and half or more just focusing on wrestling and not taking any fights, he'd probably do very well.

"The question is, is that what he wants to do really?"

Brett Okamoto can be reached at 948-7817 or [email protected]. Also follow him on twitter: LVSunFighting.