Psychologist invited on podcast to discuss sexuality

Social media post surpasses 1 million views

Georges St-Pierre, the "GOAT" of UFC welterweight champions. [Getty Images]
Georges St-Pierre, the "GOAT" of UFC welterweight champions. [Getty Images]

Georges St-Pierre, 45, of Canada — widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in UFC history — drew attention from mixed martial arts fans with an unexpected question about sexual orientation.

MMA Mania, a US-based MMA outlet, reported Sunday (Korean Standard Time) that St-Pierre recently sparked online discussion with a video on his podcast exploring the relationship between male sexual activity and homosexuality.

St-Pierre posted on social media: "Is a man who has sex with another man automatically gay?" A short video released alongside the post used examples such as sexual activity between men in prison to ask whether such acts alone are enough to define someone as homosexual.

The post surpassed 1 million views on X, formerly Twitter, and drew thousands of comments. Fans reacted in varied ways to seeing the combat sports legend — known for his tough image — openly address such a sensitive topic.

One fan joked, "Looks like Georges has been doing too much jiu-jitsu," while another quipped that the post would cost him "three or four spots on the all-time greatest list."

The actual podcast content, however, was far more substantive than the provocative question suggested. St-Pierre invited Dr. Laurie Betito, a psychologist and sex therapist, to discuss a range of topics including sexual orientation, performance anxiety, female orgasm, social standards of appearance and trauma.

St-Pierre held both the UFC welterweight and middleweight championships during his fighting career. Since retiring, he has expanded into film and television, appearing in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," "Kickboxer: Vengeance" and "King of Killers," and playing the villain Batroc in the Marvel drama series "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."


yjc@heraldcorp.com