While Georges St-Pierre produced a tremendous performance against Dan Hardy, he had to overcome the adversity of getting dropped in training camp by an MMA legend.
On March 27, 2010, ‘Rush’ defeated ‘The Outlaw’ in front of 17,000 fans inside the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, USA.
Kenny Florian dropped Georges St-Pierre before his fight with Dan Hardy
On a night MMA enthusiasts still remember fondly, Georges St-Pierre went toe-to-toe with Dan Hardy in a blockbuster match-up.
The war of attrition gave the Canadian a platform to exhibit his incredible talent, and the Brit a chance to showcase his awe-inspiring heart, which he used to survive a tight arm bar.
At the end of the bout, GSP claimed a unanimous decision victory to retain his welterweight title in another tremendous display.
However, while St-Pierre was excellent on fight day, his training camp had its fair share of ups and downs with Kenny Florian dropping him during a sparring session.
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During an interview on the Anik and Florian podcast, the legend explained: “So, I’m getting ready to fight Dan Hardy. They do a shark tank, where they put a fresh guy in every round. In the third round, I’m going against Kenny Florian. As I’m going to shoot a takedown, he throws a head kick and lands on the temple. He freaking dropped me.
“So, I finished the round and Firas Zahabi is like, ‘Hey Georges, I think that’s enough, you’ve done enough today’. I’m like, ‘No, I want to finish my five rounds’. So, Firas goes and whispers in the ear of my next training partner, which is Patrik Cote, and says, ‘Georges just got hit with a head kick, don’t hit him in the head, just move around, we don’t know if he has a serious concussion and we don’t want to make it worse’.
“So, the next two rounds, I’m killing it and feeling great, because my partner isn’t giving me any resistance. So, I’m taking them down and I feel great. I had the best round of my life. All that, because Kenny Florian kicked me in the head.”
Regardless, St Pierre didn’t let the situation deter him from getting the job done and earning Hardy’s respect in the process.
Dan Hardy believes nobody is better than Georges St-Pierre
Blessed with formidable wrestling, creative striking and an unrivaled fighting IQ, GSP has undeniably cemented his place as one of the greatest fighters the sport has ever seen.
Having shared the cage and, indeed, the training mats with St-Pierre, Hardy is in a perfect position to explain what makes the two-weight world champion so special.
In an interview with MMA Junkie, the Englishman explained: “He’s definitely on Mount Rushmore – he’s definitely one of the top four; I can’t see anybody else above him.
“The thing that makes ‘GSP’ stand aside (from the rest) is the fact that not only was he an excellent martial artist in the octagon, but he lived the lifestyle out of the octagon.
“He was squeaky clean — there were no run-ins with the police, no failed drug tests, nothing like that. The losses that he had, he came back and won. I always think that proves an excellent martial artist, someone that found a limitation and then managed to push their way through it.
“Obviously, I’m biased, because I spent a bit of time getting to know him, himself, in his home gym and everything. He’s a fantastic martial artist, he operates on a very high level. It’s difficult to put anybody else above him.”
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