Georges St. Pierre is indisputably one of the five best fighters in the history of mixed martial arts. The talented Canadian star is as good a wrestler as any man to ever step in the Octagon – but he’s more than that. St. Pierre also has a multi-faceted striking game and a collection of dangerous submissions. He faces a stiff test Saturday in former NCAA wrestling champion Josh Koscheck. But St. Pierre has faced tough challenges before, always emerging victorious. It is a career filled with memorable moments: a standing axe kick to the midsection of Jason Miller, a beating for the ages laid on poor Jay Hieron, a domination of number one contender Jon Fitch…none of those were good enough to make this list. Here are ten memorable moments, the moments that defined GSP as a fighter and a champion.
A Moment of Clarity:
A submission loss to Matt Hughes at UFC 50 was the most important moment of Georges St. Pierre’s career. It was a beautiful reversal by Hughes, a fighter competing on a level no man before him had ever reached. St. Pierre could have simply given up – after all, he had given it a shot and come up short. But GSP knew he wasn’t in the fight mentally. Before the bout he couldn’t even look Hughes in the eyes at the staredown. He had been intimidated by a legend – but he was bound and determined to never let it happen again.
B-Fighter No More:
In his first real test after the Hughes loss, St. Pierre passed with flying colors. Frank Trigg had taken Hughes to the limit at UFC 52 in one of the sport’s best fights of all time. There was serious doubt that GSP could control him on the mat, but those doubts proved unfounded. In the prefight hype, the loudmouthed Trigg called Georges a “B Fighter.” A furious St. Pierre made him pay.
I’m on My Knees:
“I’m going to go on my knees, like that, and ask the UFC management to give me a world title shot…Please. I want the belt so bad. Give it to me!”
People often talk about what a nice guy Georges St. Pierre is, how lacking in artifice and promotional savvy compared to trash talkers like Tito Ortiz and Josh Koscheck. I beg to differ. This was one of the great PR stunts in UFC history. How could you not love Georges St. Pierre after this? His passion was infectious. He had taken a gamble and challenged for the title before he was ready. Now he was desperate for a second chance. He would get it, but not before another memorable moment or two.
A Legend Conquered:
B.J. Penn was considered by many to be the best fighter in the world. After an absence from the Octagon of almost two years, Penn was back, looking to regain a welterweight title he had never lost. Standing in his way was Georges St. Pierre, the young Canadian star. After struggling in the first round, St. Pierre rallied to win a split decision. No one had manhandled Penn like this before or since, as witnessed by this huge slam.
Reality Star:
By the time he made his reality television debut at The Ultimate Fighter 4, GSP had found his place in the sport. Beating Trigg and Penn had made him somebody, but he still searched for that second chance against Hughes. He had looked up to the champion for years. His experience on the show helped cure him of his fandom. Hughes may have been a great fighter, but he was kind of a jerk. When they met again, GSP would have no problems looking him in the eye – or punching him in the face.
Five more memorable moments after the break.
Who’s Impressed with Matt Hughes?:
“I’m very glad you won that fight Matt. But I’m not impressed by your performance.”
It’s a line that has been parodied for years now. Still, there was something real there. Georges really wasn’t impressed with Hughes. The Penn fight just crystallized a thought that was already floating around in his head: I can beat this guy.
Revenge is Sweat:
After all the talk back and forth, it was finally time to settle their business in the cage. St. Pierre was as good as his word. He really was an improved fighter, one who was able to match Hughes wrestling for wrestling and easily outshine him punch for punch. It was a dominant performance. Georges almost ended things early with a Superman punch/hook combination that had Hughes reeling. In the second round he finished the job. A resounding headkick effectively ended the Hughes era. St. Pierre was now the king of the welterweight division.
Learning Humility the Hard Way:
Matt Serra may have been the biggest underdog in the history of the Octagon. The winner of the fourth season of The Ultimate Fighter, Serra was a career lightweight who had never managed to live up to lofty expectations. A ground wizard from the Renzo Gracie camp, it was thought Serra might have a chance if Georges played in his guard too much. Instead, Serra rocked GSP with punches before the new champion was forced to tap out. It took just a little over three minutes for paradigms to shift once again in the MMA universe.
Turnabout is Fair Play:
Although the feud between Serra and St. Pierre heated up later in their careers, the New Yorker’s real nemesis was Hughes. The two just plain didn’t like each other, a clash of red and blue states as well as personalities. After a season of heated trash talk on The Ultimate Fighter, the two were finally set to square off when a Serra back injury disappointed fans and the UFC brass alike. Enter GSP. On less than a month’s notice, Georges took a rubber match with Hughes. He not only won the series but also an interim title and a title shot at Serra. He would get his chance to avenge his second loss.
Hometown Hero:
The rematch with Serra was one of the most memorable fights in UFC history. Not for the fight itself, a by the books mugging that saw GSP dominate from beginning to end, but rather for an amazingly raucous crowd. The fans were beside themselves, angry that Serra had attacked their nation and their hero, and then beside themselves with glee when St. Pierre regained his title. No one who was in the building will ever forget it.