Dan "the Outlaw" Hardy Predicts He Will Win Over GSP By KO

Today, reading Dan Hardy's prediction that he will win his fight with Georges St-Pierre by knocking Georges out, made me think, "OK, here we go again!"

While this may not have made Georges as angry as he appears in the picture I chose, it did totally tick me off.

How many times have UFC fans heard that statement before?

True, Matt Serra did knock Georges out in their first meeting and took the Welter Weight title from him, but how many of the fighters that have taken Georges on since then have been able to duplicate that feat?

None!

Now the fight pundits have gotten very excited over these statements and agreed that the fighters making the statements were for one reason or another, very capable of following through with their boasts.

Certainly Jon Fitch, a mighty fine brawler who was a larger man than Georges, size-wise at least, inside the cage did try for a KO. But did he manage to knock Georges out? No. To judge by the after fight photos taken at the press conference, Jon was more often on the receiving end of the punches than was his target.

Previous to his fight with Georges, Josh Koschek worked feverishly on his stand up skills, but got little chance of using them while penned beneath a very determined GSP, who out wrestled the (former) NCAA champion wrestler.

Brazilian BJJ trained Thiago Alves longed to be the first to knock out Rush, and was supposed to be larger, quicker and stronger, fully capable of doing what he desired with his opponent. Guess what? The Pit bull came up short, as had his predecessors.

And who will ever forget how BJ Penn fought harder after his fight with Georges, which he lost, to KO Georges with allegations of steroid use and by launching "Grease Gate" (to excuse his own poor, uninspired performance)? All the experts bragged on BJ's stand up skills as if the fight had already been won. Ah well...Que sera, sera.

Now comes heavy handed "more experienced" Briton Dan Hardy to try his luck against Mr. St-Pierre. He has the boasting and trash talking skills that Georges admits he himself is lacking, but can he deliver the blow and steal Georges' gold belt?

Well, I am old, but have learned to never say "never," when dealing with a MMA fight.

We will all have to wait and see.

Will history repeat itself? Will Georges?