MMA Biography: Georges St. Pierre
By Loot, MMA Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Georges St. Pierre is considered one of MMA’s best all-time fighters and has compiled a legacy that will leave him in good standing historically when it’s all said and done. St. Pierre was born on May 19, 1981 in Quebec. It might be hard to imagine now, but Georges was bullied as a kid, eventually turning to karate in an effort to defend himself. Soon, the bullies disappeared, as St. Pierre kept improving.
St. Pierre eventually moved to other forms of combat--namely wrestling and jiu jitsu, later earning a prestigious black belt. After working with some quality coaches and training partners, St. Pierre was ready to step into the world of MMA. At the age of 20, St. Pierre made his debut, with a TKO in round one over Ivan Menjivar. He wouldn’t get any easy touches, as he finished 2002 with 3 wins--two by TKO and one by submission. St. Pierre’s potential was evident from a very early point in his career.
After 5 wins, St. Pierre had already attracted the attention of the UFC brass, who secured the services of GSP. His first UFC appearance would take place in UFC 46 in January 2004. His opponent would be streaking Karo Parisyan. A 3-round unanimous decision would give St. Pierre his first UFC win and he would never look back. A first-round knockout of tough Jay Hieron would poise him for his toughest challenge--against UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes.
Hughes at the time was in his prime, while GSP had not quite hit his stride. He was only 7-0 and had yet to face an opponent who had the things Hughes brought to the table. A first-round armbar gave Hughes the win and Georges was left to regroup, which he did with aplomb. St. Pierre began to find his footing. Sometimes a loss gives a fighter the perspective he needs.
One after another, St. Pierre starting picking off welterweights. Dave Strasser got submitted in the first round, while Jason Miller fell by decision. At UFC 54, St. Pierre choked out former title challenger Frank Trigg in the first round. Next up to bat was future UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk, who was on a 12-fight winning streak. A TKO win gave St. Pierre even more wind in his sails.
In a UFC title eliminator on March 2006, GSP met MMA legend B.J. Penn to see who would fight Hughes, who was still UFC Welterweight Champion. St. Pierre won a split decision over Penn to earn the title crack, but an injury prevented him from taking the match. Penn fought Hughes instead and lost, setting up the eagerly-awaited rematch for UFC 65.
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Hughes had been champion since 2001, but St. Pierre was a different fighter. Hughes barely got out of the first round, with the dynamic St. Pierre pelting his with a variety of strikes. In the second round, GSP picked up where he left off, scoring a decisive TKO. But as fast as he got to the top, he lost it, getting stopped in the first round by 12-1 Matt Serra. It was a stunning upset, with a distracted St. Pierre looking like a different fighter than the one who dissected Hughes.
This would be the last time St. Pierre would ever lose. In his comeback fight, he beat Josh Koscheck by decision, surprisingly out-wrestling the former NCAA champion. GSP then set his sights on regaining his belt, winning the interim belt with a submission over Matt Hughes in the rubber match, setting up a rematch with Matt Serra for the full-title. Brutal St. Pierre knees to the body brought an end to Serra’s evening in round two, returning the belt to GSP.
St. Pierre got to the business of defending his title, as he proceeded to wipe out all the quality contenders in the UFC. Jon Fitch lost a unanimous decision in the first defense of St. Pierre’s second reign. B.J. Penn, who lost to GSP by a split decision a few years before, stayed on his stool after 4 rounds, giving Georges a TKO win in January 2009. Top contender Thiago Alves could do no better--losing a unanimous decision. Next up was old rival Josh Koscheck, who St. Pierre peppered with shots en route to another decision win.
St. Pierre next defended against top contender Jake Shields, who was on a long run of victories, having not lost in 7 years. But he quickly found out St. Pierre was a whole different ball game, losing a unanimous decision. A knee injury would sideline GSP for over a year. In the meanwhile, Carlos Condit beat Nick Diaz for the interim title, setting up a lucrative return match for later in 2012 when GSP returned. In a good fight, he won a unanimous decision and followed that up with a win over Nick Diaz.
In his last title defense, St. Pierre barely defeated his successor--Johny Hendricks. Many felt the decision should have gone to Hendricks, but in any event, St. Pierre decided he had enough, announcing his retirement after the fight. In any event, St. Pierre’s legacy is secure. He cleaned out a division and exited on the heels of a long wining streak. Simply put, he’s one of the best ever.
