Georges St-Pierre Has Mind on Jake Shields, Not Dream Fight with Anderson Silva

The biggest topic of conversation in the mixed martial arts world is the dream matchup between Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva. These two men are ranked one-two in the pound-for-pound rankings and rightfully deserve that recognition.

What would this bout mean for the sport? This could easily be the biggest fight in the history of MMA, and could be the biggest fight that will ever take place. But is this bout really necessary?

Silva has won 14 fights in a row, with his most recent win being a beautiful knockout against Vitor Belfort. Silva has been dominant in all but one of those 14 bouts. In the Chael Sonnen fight, Silva proved that his wrestling is his one flaw, and while he pulled out a submission in the fifth round, Sonnen officially wrote the book on how to beat him.

Georges St-Pierre has won 14 out of his last 15 fights, with his most recent win being over Josh Koscheck. He avenged his loss to Matt Serra, and has been dominant ever since. It's hard to find a flaw in this man's game, because in every fight, he improves in every single possible way. On April 30, we will see St-Pierre take on Jake Shields in what will be the toughest fight of his career.

In recent interviews, St-Pierre has said that he hasn't thought about a fight with Silva. Many believe he is scared, while others realize his mental toughness. It seems that while St-Pierre vs. Silva is the only talked about fight, St-Pierre is the only one that realizes that Jake Shields comes first. 

Jake Shields is on a 15-fight winning streak, with nine of those wins coming against guys ranked in the top 15 of their respected weight divisions. A bad weight cut prevented Shields from putting on a quality performance, but going into his bout with St-Pierre, he is going to be 100 percent.

So while many of you think that Anderson Silva vs. Georges St-Pierre is the only fight that makes sense, and that GSP is afraid, think again. St-Pierre isn't afraid; he just has his mind in the correct place and isn't overlooking his next opponent. If GSP vs. Silva is going to happen, then expect it to take place early-to-mid 2012. 

Be sure to catch UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields on April 30, 2011 live on PPV.