Georges St-Pierre has often found himself in the crosshairs of Nick Diaz, which has led to an ongoing rivalry between the two welterweight legends. When it comes to Nick’s brother Nate Diaz, however, St-Pierre has plenty of nice things to say.

Speaking on Chael Sonnen’s podcast after watching Nate Diaz defeat Anthony Pettis at UFC 241, St-Pierre offered some praise of the resurgent Stockton-based star.

GSP on Nate Diaz… pic.twitter.com/yLgrzLAblD

— Chael Sonnen (@ChaelSonnen) August 21, 2019

“He’s an amazing character,” the Canadian said. “He’s so authentic. He doesn’t care what he says. He’s a very authentic guy, you know?”

St-Pierre continued, sharing his belief that fans have come to appreciate Nate Diaz for his authenticity and honesty — especially in an era when so many fighters are so calculated with the way they comport themselves.

“Now it’s the Conor McGregor era,” St-Pierre said. “You see a lot of guys try to mimic other guys that are more successful. In terms of their platform, they want it to become bigger, and it doesn’t work for a lot of them because they’re not authentic. But Nate Diaz is very authentic. He’s a unique person, a unique character, and that’s why people love him so much, because he’s so authentic.”

Georges St-Pierre also gave his take on Diaz’s UFC 241 victory over Pettis. He believes the younger Diaz brother has never looked better, despite his three-year layoff.

“What a comeback,” he said of Diaz’s victory. “After three years, I was not expecting that. I think he looked better than he ever did [before]. It was amazing.”

“That’s what I thought too,” Sonnen agreed.

Days removed from his win over Anthony Pettis, Nate Diaz is already linked to a high-stakes showdown with fellow welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal.

Georges St-Pierre, who previously enjoyed a dynastic rule over the welterweight division, is now happily retired.

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 8/21/2019.