UFC 129 presser audio: GSP says ignore the oddsmakers, give respect to Shields

Before their battle at UFC 129 next week, Georges St-Pierre and Jake Shields have pretty much refused to engage in trash talk. That's because there's an immense amount of respect between the two fighters. GSP went one step further today saying the odds on the fight are ridiculous.

"This is foolish. This is like a trap for me. I'm not going to fall into that trap. The odds are ridiculous," St-Pierre said. "Sometimes I think people don't even know the sport. To know the sport, you have to be into it. Most of the people who make the odds they don't even know the sport very well."

GSP said Shields would beat everyone of his previous opponents and he knew before watching past fights, that the former Strikeforce middleweight champ was going to beat Robbie Lawler and Dan Henderson.

"People forget that a guy who has good submission holds is just as dangerous as a knockout punch. You can be winning the whole fight ... and at the last minute you commit a mistake and bang you have to tap," St-Pierre said (1:15 mark). "Jake Shields has a weapon that's more dangerous than a knockout punch."

St-Pierre knows the general lack of respect for Shields puts a lot of pressure on him to win.

"People who make the odds they don't even acknowledge the true skill set of Jake Shields. And that is something that really pisses me off," St-Pierre said. "I have the pressure of going through Jake Shields like a knife in the butter. They don't understand the danger. People keep asking me about 'what are you going to do next?' It's not what I'm going to do next. What is happening right now is the most dangerous test I ever face in my career."

Here's video GSP on the teleconference. He was having a meal at the time (3:20 mark):

St-Pierre is firing away at the wrong people when he talks about the oddsmakers. The folks who set the numbers are simply looking for two-way action. He needs to call out bettors, fans and "experts" of the sport who don't recognize Shields as a good play at plus-350.

Hermes Franca Rich Franklin Ian Freeman Don Frye Tony Fryklund