Georges St-Pierre: Fighters shouldn't 'fight for peanuts,' & should let managers negotiate

Nov 17, 2012; Montreal, QC, Canada; Georges St-Pierre reacts after the fifth round of his Welterweight Championship bout against Carlos Condit at UFC 154 at the Bell Centre. St-Pierre defeated Condit by unanimous decision. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

As he looks towards a possible return to competition, retired former world champion Georges St-Pierre has a message for his fellow fighters - know your worth and secure good representation to negotiate with promoters. St-Pierre used himself as an example.

"I am involved in negotiations, but it isn't my expertise," he recently explained while on The MMA Hour.

"My agents these two guys, they had a great job before they stepped on board with me. They were making big money and they had a family to feed, and they told me, they made me promise something, and I'm a man of my word - They said to me, 'Georges, I never want you to sign anything without our blessing. If we jump on board with you, because we're putting our lives on the line. We want to make sure everything is controlled, and every time you sign something, the three of us, we agree on it.'

"I told them 'yes,' so I'm never going to make a decision [without them], even though I'm emotional sometimes and I want to do someting. I'm not going to make a decision without their blessing. So, these guys are the brains in terms of business, and I'm the fighter. That's their area of expertise and I trust them very much."

Fighters shouldn't complain about not getting paid well enough if they've sent messages throughout their careers that they would be willing to work for near free. When it comes to signing deals with fight promoters, GSP says that athletes need to leave emotions aside, and be aware of their worth.

"That's the problem with a lot of guys who complain they don't get paid enough. It's because they're ready to sign anything," he insisted.

"They got caught with their emotion and they sign anything. They're going to fight for peanuts. You don't want to do that. If you do that, you've penalized the other guys who want to get paid for.

"Why would [the UFC] pay some guys more money if they can get another guy for almost free? You know what I mean? As partners, I think they should be more aware of this. It is important."