UFC 158: Keys to Victory for Georges St-Pierre over Nick Diaz

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UFC 158 goes down March 16 from the Bell Centre in Montreal. In the main event, the great Georges St-Pierre puts his welterweight title on the line against on-again, off-again blood rival Nick Diaz of Stockton, Calif.

Georges St-Pierre is a favorite in the fight. But that doesn't mean it's a gimme. What does GSP have to do to lock up the W? Read on.

Don't Get Sucked in

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At last week's UFC 158 media conference call, St-Pierre and Diaz both did their best to downplay any animosity between them. We'll see how that holds up as we approach fight day, when history tells us the Stockton Bad Boy will emerge. Because trash talk, inside the cage, anyway, is part of what makes Diaz so potent. And, of course, he's talked his share of smack to GSP before.

To date, a laundry list of opponents—Matt Serra, Dan Hardy, Matt Hughes, Josh Koscheck—have tried to get inside GSP's head. All that happened was that the laundry list of opponents became a laundry list of victims. But Diaz might be a different animal. He can unglue people in there. GSP has to stay mentally strong and resist the falling of the red curtain.

Work the Takedown

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This one's pretty much a no-brainer. Diaz can grapple, sure. But he's susceptible to stronger guys who can take him down, pass his guard and hold onto him. It just so happens that's what GSP—who specifically called for Diaz as his next opponent—excels at doing.

Power Up

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Once he's got the takedowns he will so inevitably get, St-Pierre should use his power. But he should also look to unleash during stand-up exchanges.

Carlos Condit showed that an intelligent kickboxing game can confound Diaz. GSP may not be as dynamic as Condit, but he's more powerful. He should use it.