WASHINGTON DC | It’s hard to say what’s going on in Olivier Aubin-Mercier’s head 24 hours before the fight he will take part in in the Professional Fighters League (PFL) finals.
• Also read: A very big challenge for Aubin-Mercier
• Also read: The pirate versus the samurai
The Montreal fighter will step into the octagon in the very final fight of the evening to defend the lightweight title he acquired last year. And there is a risk that it will be his last fight of his career.
“It’s definitely my last season,” he emphasized when we met him in training a month ago. If the PFL offers me a fight in Montreal with good money and my friends on the card, I might reconsider, but other than that I have nothing left to achieve. If I have to do one last shot, I want everything to come together. I want it to be good for me, my fans and my training partners.”
So imagine how he feels as he nears the peak of his career.
“I’m in a situation where I’m not sure how I feel,” he admitted last month.
status
So why come back, especially since he already mentioned that the motivation was lower?
“I haven’t defended my belt yet, but I’m the champion of 2022 and I’ve fought three times since then, so I’m defending my honor and I feel super comfortable,” he explains right at the start of the match, but that’s not the case at all.
“It serves to consolidate my status as an athlete in Quebec,” he admits. Honestly, I could stop here and be happy. I achieved what I wanted to achieve in my sport.
“Obviously doing it twice is a nice bonus, but when I look at a guy like Georges [Saint-Pierre] Anyone who has defended their title a dozen times seems small to me.”
The fact is that he can leave with his head held high because he feels like he has fulfilled his duty.
“I feel lucky to have achieved everything I have in my sport and to have some financial freedom.”
Not afraid
Even though he describes himself as lazy, we sense that Olivier Aubin-Mercier likes the discipline that training brings. In fact, he enjoys training the most. More than just fighting.
“I say that I don’t like fights, but above all it no longer brings me the thrill that I had when I was young, it no longer brings me the negative sides such as pressure and doubts because I feel myself after every fight question.
He also points out that the world of mixed martial arts comes with different pressures than what other athletes might face. As an example, he cites the fact that in the event of a defeat, a purse is halved.
“I don’t take anything away from other sports, but I think getting knocked out in front of everyone else is the most humiliating thing,” he says with a laugh. If you ask a hockey player whether he would rather lose a game or be beaten up by Georges Laraque, he will probably say he would rather lose a game.
“I’m lucky, even though I lost a few fights. I’m not afraid to step into the octagon, I’m afraid of hurting those close to me. I would rather be in pain than her. It’s hard to see the look your loved ones give you. It’s not judgment, it’s sadness or pity and it’s the worst feeling.”