UFC Clash of the Champions: Could Nick Diaz End George St Pierre's Reign?

Since it was announced that Zuffa had purchased Strikeforce, fans have been excited at the prospect of fighters from Strikeforce and the UFC facing each other.  

While Dana White has said on various occasions that it will be "business as usual", it has not stopped fans exploring the idea of which fighters would be victorious if they faced each other.

One of the most exciting match ups possible would be between welterweight champions Nick Diaz and Georges St Pierre. Nick Diaz has never failed to hide his annoyance at the fact that people don't consider him the best pound for pound welterweight, and there would be no better way to put an end to this debate than to have to two champions face each other.  

I'll be evaluating the skill sets of both champions to determine which would come out victorious. 

Striking

In today's mixed martial arts landscape, it is impossible to be champion without having a decent stand up game.

Both Diaz and St Pierre have claimed victories by using their striking skills. St Pierre won his most recent championship bout by jabbing Josh Koscheck's eye until his orbital bone was broken.  Diaz has also showcased his fantastic standup by defeating competent strikers like K.J Noons and Robbie Lawler.

While both men have fantastic striking, I lean towards Diaz having the upper hand in this area simply due to his sometimes unorthodox style of pitter-patter boxing. Diaz is able to find openings when he needs them and picks his shots carefully to gain the best results. Add this to the fact that fifty percent of Diaz's victories have come by way of (T)KO and it becomes clear that the Strikeforce champ is dangerously talented striker.

Verdict: Diaz 

Wrestling

I think this one is a no brainer.

Throughout his championship run, Georges St Pierre has managed to take down every opponent he has faced. He has been able to defeat fighters with decorated wrestling backgrounds having never competed at a junior level himself. St Pierre was also considering trying out for the Canadian Olympic wrestling team.

While Diaz's wrestling is at a decent level, it is obvious that St Pierre's wrestling is head and shoulders above the competition he has faced so far.

Verdict: St Pierre

Ground Game

Much like the striking aspect, both fighters have high level ground games.

Both are have obtained black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, with GSP earning his under Bruno Fernandes and Diaz under Cesar Gracie.

The two champions have shown great ability to set up submissions to end fights, with Diaz submitting three of his last five opponents and GSP having almost a quarter of his wins by way of submission. 

However, I would give the edge to Diaz. Throughout his career he has showed fantastic submission skills, with a third of his victories coming by submission. A large proportion of his career highlights involve him submitting people (who could forget the gogoplata he pulled on Takanori Gomi?).

Verdict: Diaz

Confidence

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

NEW YORK - MARCH 24: Georges St-Pierre of Montreal, Quebec, Canada speaks at a press conference for UFC 111 at Radio City Music Hall on March 24, 2010 in New York City. St-Pierre will face Dan Hardy of Nottingham UK in the Welterweight title bout. (Pho

Confidence may seem like a strange aspect to be evaluating, as both champions clearly have heaps of the stuff.

GSP and Diaz have shown that they are able to finish the fight wherever they decide and are confident in their skill sets. However, I would lean towards Diaz having more confidence. On more than one occasion he has tested his skills against fighters deemed to be better. He decided to stand up with dangerous strikers like Robbie Lawler and Evangelista Santos in order to prove he was the better man. Whether this confidence could be misconstrued as poor game planning is up for debate.

However, GSP has always looked to exploit his opponent's weaknesses. He put on a wrestling clinic when he faced Dan Hardy, whose wrestling is relatively poor. The fact that some fans feel GSP is weary of trying to finish a fight since his loss to Matt Serra also comes into this debate.

Verdict: Diaz 

Conclusion

It is clear that both champions have the skills and the ability to dethrone the other. Diaz would be able to showcase his fantastic striking, whereas GSP would be able to take the fight to the ground if he needed. This would open the ground aspect, in which both fighters could end the fight with a submission.

If I had to choose, I'd say GSP would grind out a decision simply due to his phenomenal wrestling. Post your picks below!