Georges has clearly been one of the UFC's most active champions over the past couple of years. Georges learned a valuable lesson when he lost to Matt Serra and as a result, he approaches each fight as if it were the toughest of his career and employs an intense training camp in his preparation. That constant intensity can take its toll on an athlete physically and I think we saw that with the groin injury. While recovering from that, Georges was itching to get back into the gym. The old saying that you don't appreciate what you have until you don't have it, well, when Georges didn't have the ability to train, I think it made him even hungrier than before," stated Shari Spencer, manager of UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, as she updated fans on his status, future plans and much more.
PC: How is everything going Shari?
SS: Everything is going great; it's been an incredibly busy year.
PC: Congratulations on all of the success with both Georges St. Pierre and Frankie Edgar. The most recent headline is that Under Armour signed GSP to an endorsement deal. From what I understand, you played a major role in this deal getting done. Can you elaborate on the closing of this endorsement deal?
SS: Thank you. This deal was definitely a collaborative effort. First and foremost, Georges had to do his part by his performance in the Octagon and by conducting himself as a professional athlete outside the Octagon as well. Further, Georges was extremely supportive as we patiently maintained a brand strategy that positioned him as an athlete first and a fighter second, which I think has been a key factor in his appeal to brands such as Gatorade and Under Armour. For my part, it was developing that strategy and then seeking out and cultivating the relationship with CAA so that Georges could have accelerated access to mainstream opportunities. And finally, CAA introduced the relationship to us and worked side by side as we finalized the deal.
PC: GSP seems to make a lot of women go crazy with his fight shorts, so it only seems fitting that he will be representing Under Armour's underwear brand, right?
SS: I couldn't have said it better myself.
PC: Georges has placed himself in the upper echelon of marketable fighters, but he appears to be breaking barriers with the new UA deal as well as Gatorade and other large companies. How important is that for the sport for fighters to get on with some of these companies?
SS: Opinions vary on this one, but I personally think it's extremely important. I still have more difficulty selling the sport than I do selling Georges. It's still quite an education process, but as more top companies select professional athletes, such as Georges, to represent their brands, it signals an acceptance of MMA as a legitimate sport and it also helps introduce the sport to new fans.
PC: When dealing with a fighter as popular as Georges, how do you field all of the request and demands for his presence?
SS: As they say, this is actually a "good problem" to have. It's not easy saying "no" and I've probably been guilty of working too hard to try to honor requests and not passing on them sooner. Logistically, there's no way we can fulfill all the requests that we receive, but we try to honor as many as we can.
PC: What are the communication lines like between you and GSP, being that he lives in Canada? Do you speak to him on an everyday basis?
SS: We speak quite regularly, but if we're not speaking, we're texting. E-mail is rare; I think it's a generational thing. I really see my role as taking care of any matter that would divert his focus from training, and I also try to respect his personal time as well, so if possible, I'll typically wait until I have a few things to cover with him and take care of them all in one phone call.
PC: What is the ultimate goal for Georges from an endorsement standpoint and what are some of the future goals of GSP Enterprises?
SS: While Georges will always be a mixed martial artist before anything else, the ultimate goal for him is to use this relatively short window of his life, where he's actively competing, to build his brand and maximize his earning potential. One very important goal that has been pushed to the backburner in recent months, but that is still very important to us, is the development of his foundation. This will give us a structured vehicle to give back a portion of what he's been blessed with and, in particular, focus on programs that target at-risk youth.
PC: I spoke with Firas Zahabi and he told me that this rest is probably the best thing that could have happened to Georges. Would you agree with that? Do you think he was getting a little burned out?
SS: Georges has clearly been one of the UFC's most active champions over the past couple of years. Georges learned a valuable lesson when he lost to Matt Serra and as a result, he approaches each fight as if it were the toughest of his career and employs an intense training camp in his preparation. That constant intensity can take its toll on an athlete physically and I think we saw that with the groin injury. While recovering from that, Georges was itching to get back into the gym. The old saying that you don't appreciate what you have until you don't have it, well, when Georges didn't have the ability to train, I think it made him even hungrier than before and for that renewed hunger, I would agree with Firas.
PC: Can we expect an early 2010 return for St. Pierre?
SS: It's definitely looking that way, but we don't have an exact date yet.
PC: Switching gears to Frankie Edgar now. Frankie recently had an opponent change for his upcoming fight. Were you the person that had to break the news to him that Kurt Pellegrino had pulled out?
SS: Actually, he told me. It was right after I had agreed to manage him, so I think the word hadn't quite made it to everyone at the UFC that I was working with him. But shortly thereafter, I spoke to Joe Silva about it and he brought me up to speed on the situation and the rationale behind Matt Veach as an opponent. The guy's undefeated, so even though many fans haven't heard of him, I think he's going to be a tough opponent and it should be a great fight.
PC: How is he handling the change from Pellegrino to Veach?
SS: Frankie's a professional, so he's handling it just fine. He's been studying his previous fights and making any necessary adjustments in his preparation.
PC: I've spoken to Edgar on several occasions and he is a very quiet and humble guy. Do you have to target a different market when trying to market him to companies?
SS: No two fighters are the same and I will market Frankie much differently than I have Georges. Frankie's a family man, very involved in his community and philanthropic activities and he loves to teach, so I'll definitely be focusing on those attributes and his all-American, guy-next-door image that make him easy to relate to.
PC: You obviously only deal with fighters who you see something special in. what is it about Georges and Frankie that made you want to work with them?
SS: Well, first, I only poach when playing the net in doubles tennis, so a fighter has to approach me. I don't think I'd ever really thought about the criteria, but I guess if I had to sum it up, the fighter/manager relationship involves a tremendous amount of trust, so first and foremost, it was their character. Second, I would say they impressed me with their talent, work ethic and heart. Finally, I looked at whether they're a positive role model and represent the sport professionally to determine their marketability. So even though Georges and Frankie have completely different personalities and I'll market them differently, they both were fighters I'd be proud to represent.
PC: I'm sure you stay pretty busy. What is a day like for Shari Spencer?
SS: Wow, each day is really quite different, so there's no typical day. I must say I don't think I've ever worked as hard, traveled as much or been as accessible 24/7 in my entire career. Having said that, I know I've never had as much fun doing anything as I'm having doing this. If I didn't enjoy what I was doing, there's no way I'd have the energy to keep up the pace required. I've recently expanded my team of staff because I've admittedly allowed my life to get a bit out of balance, so hopefully soon I'll be getting back on the tennis court, walking my dogs more, etc.
PC: You do a tremendous job with your athletes. I wish you the best of luck with both of your fighters and I'm sure your roster will be expanding soon. Is there anything you want to say in closing?
SS: Thank you for the compliment and I think we covered quite a bit. As for parting words, I'd just like to say thanks to all of those who have supported my efforts on behalf of Georges, and now Frankie, and encouraged me to stay the course. And a special thanks to all of their fans and sponsors for showing their support.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]