UFC 124: Is There a Welterweight Who Can Beat Georges St. Pierre?
As we approach UFC 124 this weekend, all eyes are on the much hyped main event featuring UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre defending his title against the greatly hated Josh Koscheck in a rematch from UFC 74.
St. Pierre, 29, has run through the UFC's Welterweight Division like a hot knife through butter since unifying the 170 lb. title against Matt Serra at UFC 83. The list of his victims is a who's who of top fighters in the division: Jon Fitch, B.J. Penn, Thiago Alves and Dan Hardy; each went in with what they thought was the game plan to finally trump the champ, and just fell flat.
So with that said, who's left to pose a threat to the pound for pound king? Well, Bleacher Report has come up with a few key candidates who have popped up as of late who could possibly be the one to finally stop the "Rush."
Josh Koscheck
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Say what you want about the season one TUF competitor, but the man who has drawn the ire of millions of MMA fans for his unfavorable antics is a beast in the cage.
Why Koscheck Could Win: His striking has drastically improved since he first came into the UFC and in his upcoming rematch with GSP this weekend, he could prove to be very dangerous for the champ.
Koscheck, 33, could keep the fight standing for a bit and if St. Pierre isn't careful he could get caught by Kos' impressive knockout power.
Why Koscheck Could Lose:
Even though Koscheck has improved his striking, St.Pierre hasn't stayed champ by getting into all out brawls with his opponents. The moment that Kos poses any threat to GSP on the feet, he'll immediately go for the take down for which amazingly, Koscheck, an NCAA Division I Wrestling All American, has no answer for.
Paul Daley
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Current Strikeforce import Paul Daley is a man who's trying to get his career back on track after getting bounced from the UFC for his post fight cheap shot on Josh Koscheck at UFC 113.
Why Daley Could Win: This past Saturday, Daley was able to show the MMA world that he was making his way back to the top by knocking out Scott Smith in the first round.
Why Daley Could Lose: Every fighter has his weaknesses, and Daley, 27, is no different. Wrestling would ultimately nullify any offense that Daley could set up with his fists, the second that GSP shoots in for a double leg takedown.
Carlos Condit
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Condit, 26, has developed some buzz as of late. His latest victory against Dan Hardy was a vicious and well timed knockout.
Why Condit Could Win:
Condit has pretty good stand up game and new found power, which could serve him well since his wrestling isn't that great.
Why Condit Could Lose:
GSP will easily avoid Condit's power and hand skills and simply dominate Condit on the ground.
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Nick Diaz
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Nick Diaz, 27, has a chip on his shoulder and is looking for a reason to get GSP in the cage. Even though he's fighting for Strikeforce, it is highly conceivable that he could be the guy to beat the king simply due to his fighting style.
Why Diaz Could Win
Diaz's boxing level strike output allows him to frustrate opponents. His submissions will pose a major threat since he's earned his BJJ Blackbelt via Cesar Gracie.
Why Diaz Could Lose
Diaz's striking is too one dimensional. Sure, the sheer volume is where you can win a fight in the hands of the judges, but St. Pierre is too fast and versatile to just stand there.
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