Will the Next UFC WW Champ Look Like This?

Next to Georges St. Pierre's layoff, my hiatus from Bleacher Report was a short speck in time.

Georges has been rehabbing from an injured groin muscle incurred during the fourth round of his fight with Thiago Alves. The trademark phrase which evolved from that incident in fight history was made by Greg Jackson when in reply to Georges stating, "I hurt my groin in that round," Coach Jackson said, "I don't care...hit him with your groin!"

In response Georges finished the fifth round without the injury being noticeable and defeated the larger fighter, receiving a unanimous decision.

This is the stuff that legends are made of...there is no quitting in Georges' nature.

Now a brash young Britain is stepping forward to challenge the French Canadian for the UFC Welter Weight Championship title. Although Dan Hardy of the pointed Mohawk haircut has only been in the UFC for one year, he has all the confidence in the world that he can overcome Georges' athleticism and win the belt.

All that is well and good, confidence would be an extremely important necessity to take into the ring against "Rush" who has destroyed all other challengers, (since he recovered his belt from Matt Serra in Montreal in April of 2008). Each opponent appeared to be tougher and more worthy of taking the title from the humble Canadian, but each fell far short of that goal giving GSP the air of invincibility which all fighters covet.

The "Outlaw" surely would love the chance to steal the gold and be the second man to deal Georges a knockout blow, he has no doubts that his feared fist will meet Georges' chin more than a few times during the five rounds.

One would only have to view his recent duel with Texan Mike Swick to recognise the threat that fist represents to a fighter whose chin many doubt could withstand a hard blow.

If only that were the secret, then I feel that BJ Penn or John Fitch would have floored Georges in their contests with the athletic dynamo who seems to have no ceiling to his  ever increasing abilities.

Out wrestling Josh Koscheck surprised many sports writers, preventing the "prodigy" from entering the fifth round of their January event also amazed others who predicted that Georges would fall prey to BJ's strikes or BJJ skills for which he is so well known.

Hardy insists that Georges may be a superior athlete, but states that he is not a great fighter. Hm...I wonder if the gladiators thought that about the lions as they stepped into the Colosseum?

Everyone knows my feeling for Georges, so I am sure all my readers know who my bet will be on March 27, 2010 at UFC 111. It is not just sentiment, but years of watching the amazing progress that he has made. All things being equal, meaning that if neither fighter has contracted the dreaded swine flu, a staph infection, or training injury, I feel that Georges will make a believer of yet another challenger.

Dan Hardy may speak the more proper version of the English language, being a British citizen and all, but Georges will be speaking better MMA in every sense, on his feet or on the mat, he will rule the cage with his many skills.

 And yes, I would take that to the bank!