What is the definition of a true martial artist? Is it Jon Jones’s dominance across generations? Or maybe Khabib Nurmagomedov’s spotless 29-0 record? For Joe Rogan, it’s something deeper. Something quieter.

It’s a life that continues to revolve around discipline, growth, and curiosity—even when the spotlight fades. And to him, no one embodies that spirit more than Georges St-Pierre. The former welterweight champion’s name is synonymous with five-round clinics, perfectly timed takedowns, and eyes swollen shut from sniper-like jabs. But if you ask Rogan what impresses him most? It’s what St-Pierre is doing after he walked away from it all.

Joe Rogan breaks down what sets Georges St-Pierre apart from other fighters

Sitting across from Joey Diaz on the JRE (Joe Rogan Experience) no. 2309, the conversation between the pair turned not nostalgic, but not sentimental. Instead, it dug into what truly set Georges St-Pierre apart from his peers.

Diaz began by stating, “I think the guy that led that for me was GSP. I was always very impressed with how every fight he showed up with something different while his opponent was like, ‘Yeah, GSP got skills, but I still got this right hand.’”

That adaptability wasn’t just talent—it was obsession. Rogan and Diaz recalled how St-Pierre didn’t settle for being the best. He hunted every edge. Kickboxing in the city with Phil Nurse. Training at Wild Card with elite boxers. Studying under Greg Jackson in New Mexico.

Perhaps the greatest example of him adding more weapons to his arsenal? That came at UFC 194, where he fought Josh Koscheck for the second time. Diaz recalled, “Remember when he fought Josh Koschek and he was jabbing, was that the fight where he f— broke the jab out he had trained at Wild Card?”

That wasn’t just fight IQ. That was evolution in real time. But what really sets GSP apart? According to Rogan, it’s what’s happening now. 

The JRE host shared, “You know what’s really crazy about him? He still does the same thing, he’s really a martial artist. He comes to Austin all the time to train with John Danaher and Gordon Ryan all the time, he’s here all the time. I see him like every couple of months, he comes down to train, then he’ll go somewhere else to train, and he’ll go somewhere else to train.”

No desire to fight. No urge to prove anything. Why? Because he’s already won. “He’s so happy and content,” Rogan added. “He’s the best example of a guy who retired with millions in the bank and is living his best life. He’s a real martial artist. He just wants to learn and grow.”

Georges St-Pierre’s post-retirement life isn’t a slow fade into comfort. It’s an unending journey of improvement. Like a samurai sharpening his sword daily, knowing he may never use it again, but keeping it honed to a razor’s edge anyway.

Perhaps the best example of his thirst for knowledge? It happened when he sought out Joe Rogan to learn a technique from the man most people know for his work behind a microphone!

A look back at when Rogan taught St-Pierre how to throw a “turning side kick”  

Years ago, before Joe Rogan was the voice of the UFC, he was a martial artist himself. A national Taekwondo champion with a devastating spinning back kick. He walked away from competition after one brutal knockout left him shaken. But he kept training. Always training.

And that’s how he found out the extent of Georges St-Pierre’s obsession with improvement. Not as a commentator and fighter, but as fellow seekers of knowledge. 

During the conversation with Diaz, Rogan shared, “He came down to learn a turning side kick from me, he just wants to learn from everybody, he wants to learn everything.”

Think about that. One of the greatest fighters in UFC history, who retired with a 26-2 record and held belts in two weight classes, sought out Joe Rogan, not for a podcast, but to understand the perfect mechanics of a kick.

The video has since gathered over 5 million views on YouTube, and it’s not hard to understand why. Rogan is an exceptional instructor as he reveals while teaching GSP, “Notice how everything goes in a straight line. What you’re doing wrong is your knee is low and as you’re kicking, you’re going up. In going up, you lose a lot of the energy. You don’t want to go up, you want to go straight.”

In conclusion, while others fade into retirement like a candle burning out, Georges St-Pierre burns on like a forge. Still learning from the best. Still asking questions. And maybe that’s the biggest lesson of all: greatness isn’t always about winning. Sometimes, it’s about never stopping the search.