Can anyone beat Georges St. Pierre?
By Joe Fernandez
Newsday.com
With the wealth of talent at 170 pounds in the UFC, it's tough to say that interim UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre won't lose another match for a very long time. But after watching his last win against Matt Hughes -- It's become a lot easier to say.
GSP fights Matt Hughes at UFC 79. (AP Photo)
Where do you take this guy?
Between his spinning back kicks and those leg-buckling barrages he throws at opponents, you'd have to take him to the ground. But what happens when you get there?
Not only is St. Pierre a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but because of his grappling prowess, he's also throwing around the idea of wrestling for Canada in the Olympics.
What about his cardio? Maybe he'll get tired.
Not likely. Let's remember, two matches ago he outlasted an NCAA Division I national wrestling champion in Josh Koscheck. St. Pierre looked fresh in the third round and earned the decision victory. He's also gone the distance in wins over BJ Penn and Karo Parisyan. And by the way...he's 26. He's in his fighting prime. Don't count on him gassing.
Here's a list of potential fights for GSP:
1. Matt Serra
Let's not forget about Matt Serra. Even though he's injured with a herniated disc in his back, he's still the UFC welterweight champion. He was never beaten for his belt, and he is the last person to defeat St. Pierre. That could weigh on GSP's confidence. Serra is a gamer -- no doubt about it, and there's no reason why he couldn't beat St. Pierre again, but he needs to be at full strength. It's awful having to work through a back injury. But the longer a match goes the more St. Pierre's confidence snowballs in his favor. Just like he did the first time, Serra would have to get to GSP early and take away that confidence. The jiu-jitsu edge would go to the Renzo Gracie black belt, while the wrestling would go to St. Pierre.
2. Jon Fitch
With a victory over Diego Sanchez, Jon Fitch has earned that "next level" win that would indicate he is title-shot worthy. Fitch's wrestling would cancel out St. Pierre's, but the edge in stand-up would still go to the interim welterweight champion.
3. Karo Parisyan
This one I'd like to see again. St. Pierre earned a unanimous decision win against Parisyan in 2004. But between GSP's stand-up and Parisyan's throws, it would definitely be up for fight of the night.
Fightin' Words readers...which UFC fighter do you think would give St. Pierre the best match-up?
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Comments (1)
Tough not to agree with you, Joe. GSP is looking pretty unbeatable -- although I said that prior to the loss to Matt Serra. I was shocked how he manhandled Matt Hughes but it seems time for the former champ to call it a great career. Interestingly enough, I don't welterweight is as "stocked with talent" as it used to be since GSP has taken welterweight to another level.
Side note: good coverage of MMA -- kudos to you, Joe.