UFC 129 Fight Card: Power Ranking All of Georges St. Pierre's UFC Victories
On April 30, UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre will face one of the biggest challenges of his career when he meets former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion and fellow pound-for-pound great Jake Shields.
As with any professional athlete, St-Pierre has had his ups and downs, but he learned from every experience and grew into arguably the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport.
This article pays homage to all of St-Pierre's UFC victories. Every win has a story behind it, and St-Pierre continues to build on that story as he works to craft a legacy that will be remembered for generations to come.
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15) Avoiding Past Mistakes (Def. Dan Hardy at UFC 111)
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Coming into Newark, New Jersey at UFC 111, Dan Hardy was a major underdog against St-Pierre. While the Brit hadn't even defeated a top-10 opponent, you could pretty much write a book about St-Pierre's accomplishments.
The buildup of the fight had an eerie similarity to St-Pierre's first bout with Matt Serra at UFC 69, where Serra earned the first round TKO stoppage in arguably the biggest upset in MMA history.
St-Pierre admitted to past mistakes of buying into his own hype from those around him, and the loss to Serra was likely the most humbling experience of his MMA career.
He didn't make the same mistakes in preparing for his bout with Hardy. Even though most discounted Hardy's chances, St-Pierre embraced the challenge as the toughest of career, and the fight ended like most predicted––a lopsided unanimous decision for the French Canadian.
14) “Rush” is Born (Def. Jay Hieron at UFC 48)
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Before he became the methodical tactician, St-Pierre was known for getting after it and putting pressure on his opponents early.
Fans got a big dose of this when he went toe to toe with "The Thoroughbred" Jay Hieron at UFC 48.
The resilient Hieron was drunk on pain as St-Pierre turned up the heat in the standup exchanges. A halt was finally called to the action after St. Pierre scored a knockdown and unloaded on Hieron with a vicious barrage of punches and elbows.
The victory earned St-Pierre his first UFC title shot. If fans didn't know where the nickname "Rush" came from, they certainly understood after the Hieron bout.
13) Motivated and Refocused (Def. Jason Miller at UFC 52)
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The bout against Jason "Mayhem" Miller at UFC 52 was very important in St-Pierre's young, rising career. It marked his transformation into a true MMA veteran.
He was coming off a disappointing first round submission loss to Matt Hughes at UFC 50.
After the loss, St-Pierre admitted to being nervous and called Hughes his idol. He vowed that he would never let such things interfere with his bid for UFC gold again.
In his bout with Miller, St-Pierre came out like a man possessed. Miller may have survived all three rounds, but by the final bell, he looked like he had barely escaped a murder scene.
Meanwhile, St-Pierre, who was awarded the unanimous decision, left the octagon pretty much the same way he came in.
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12) Growth of a Star (Def. Frank Trigg at UFC 54)
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St-Pierre's popularity started to gain momentum after his dominant first round submission win over Frank Trigg at UFC 54.
A convincing win over a fighter like Trigg, who had just contended for the welterweight title, was just what St-Pierre needed to stir the masses.
Along with his dominant and exciting fighting style, fans latched on to his humble nature and clean image.
Even though it would take him two more wins over former title contenders to earn a rematch with Matt Hughes, St-Pierre was clearly on the brink of superstardom.
11) A Realistic Threat Emerging (Def. Sean Sherk at UFC 56)
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Before St-Pierre, Matt Hughes was considered to be one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. The mere idea of another man ruling over the welterweight division was unfathomable.
This was all until St-Pierre's dominant TKO victory over Sean Sherk at UFC 56. Heads began to turn as they watched the French Canadian phenom stuff every takedown attempt and batter the former title contender from start to finish.
10) War Between Coaches (Def. Josh Koscheck at UFC 124)
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In over three years, the only person to even take a round from St-Pierre was Josh Koscheck in their first meeting.
Pundits have always considered Koscheck to be St-Pierre's toughest test at welterweight. He has knockout power and world-class wrestling.
Even though he was taken down and controlled in the first bout, Koscheck wasn't handled like so many others had been before him.
Before the rematch, both fighters were featured as coaches on the twelfth season of The Ultimate Fighter, where Koscheck spent the entire season trying to get under St-Pierre's skin.
While Koscheck embraced the villain role, St-Pierre was the hero as he marched down the aisle in his hometown of Montreal to do battle with his blonde-headed nemesis.
After all of the pre-fight trash talk, St-Pierre repaid Koscheck with a unanimous decision loss, the beating of a lifetime and a broken orbital bone.
9) Beginning of an Era (Def. Karo Parisyan in Debut at UFC 46)
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There weren't any tune-up bouts for St-Pierre when he stepped into the UFC octagon for the first time.
He was thrown right into the fire against welterweight contender Karo "The Heat" Parisyan.
The major jump in competition never phased St-Pierre, as he put on a well-rounded performance and routed Parisyan for the unanimous decision.
As St-Pierre raised his hand in victory, fans had one question on their minds––who in the hell is this kid?
8) Changing of the Guard (Def. Matt Hughes at UFC 79)
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The trilogy of St-Pierre versus Matt Hughes began and ended with an armbar submission.
It was three years prior to this bout that Hughes defeated St-Pierre and ended his hopes of brandishing UFC gold. It's amazing how much can change in three years.
Hughes, a former welterweight champion and all-time great, was completely outclassed in the rubber match.
St-Pierre picked the former champion to pieces on the feet, setup a beautiful throw from the clinch, and locked up the armbar submission in the second round.
He was no longer that nervous kid making pedestrian mistakes against marquee names. Fighters and fans around the world now looked to St-Pierre the same way he looked to Hughes––as an idol.
7) Aces Ultimate Test (Def. Thiago Alves at UFC 100)
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St-Pierre faced the ultimate test against MMA wrecking ball Thiago Alves at UFC 100.
Alves, a dangerous striker with solid takedown defense, came into the bout on a seven-fight win streak, including victories over Matt Hughes, Josh Koscheck and Karo Parisyan.
Some believed he could keep the fight upright long enough to best the exchanges and eventually land a big punch, but they were proven wrong again.
Alves was completely dominated in every area, including a standup exchange in the third round that ended in "The Pitbull" getting dropped by a St-Pierre right hand.
St-Pierre implemented a flawless game plan by keeping Alves guessing with strikes and takedowns. When the unanimous decision verdict was read, fans watched in awe as St-Pierre's "ultimate test" looked more like a tune-up bout.
6) First Successful Title Defense (Def. Jon Fitch at UFC 87)
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You aren't really a champion until you defend your title. This statement is echoed throughout combat sports.
After toppling Hughes for the welterweight title, St-Pierre was quickly defeated in his first title defense against Matt Serra.
It was a major step back for the man most thought would one day surpass Hughes as the greatest welterweight of all time.
After going back to the drawing board, St-Pierre cut through the welterweight ranks and reclaimed his title.
He would have another chance to prove himself as a champion when he met surging contender Jon Fitch at UFC 87. At the time, Fitch was undefeated in the UFC and riding a 16-fight win streak.
Despite the former Purdue wrestler's grit and determination, there weren't any Serra-like hiccups on fight night, as St-Pierre earned the unanimous decision and turned Fitch's face into pudding.
With his first title defense under his belt, St-Pierre was finally on his way to achieving greatness.
5) Vengeance Served (Def. Matt Serra at UFC 83 to Reclaim UFC Welterweight Title
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In what is often considered the biggest upset in MMA history, Matt Serra defeated St-Pierre for the welterweight title at UFC 69.
In the rematch at UFC 83, St-Pierre didn't hold back on his chance for vengeance. He served Serra up with a vicious thrashing and took back his world title in front of thousands of screaming fans in Montreal.
4) Battle of Pound-for-Pound Greats (Def. B.J. Penn at UFC 94)
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It's rare that fans get the opportunity to witness a superfight between two legendary champions.
At UFC 94, St-Pierre defended his welterweight title against lightweight champion B.J. Penn.
While the actual fight wasn't quite as epic as the buildup, the bout is generally perceived as one of the biggest in UFC history.
Eager fans looked on as St-Pierre handed down another one-sided beat down, which forced Penn's corner to throw in the towel at the end of the fourth round.
Every all-time great has certain fights that fuel his or her legacy. For St-Pierre, this was one of those fights.
3) Road to Redemption Begins (Def. Josh Koscheck at UFC 74)
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After losing to Matt Serra, St-Pierre began his road to redemption at UFC 74 against Josh Koscheck.
This was one of the most pivotal moments of his entire career. St-Pierre was faced with a horde of media questions regarding his psyche.
It wasn't just the upset loss to Serra. People delved into St. Pierre's past, and the first bout with Matt Hughes resurfaced.
The French Canadian admitted that Hughes was his idol, and he came into that bout really nervous.
It wasn't just the nerves that stood out to onlookers. People were surprised when St. Pierre hoisted Hughes on his shoulders in celebration after losing a world title bout.
Perhaps, St-Pierre was too kind? Many started labeling him as "mentally weak."
As the lights dimmed and the music blasted at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, fans witnessed a different St-Pierre emerge from the curtains at UFC 74. It was like he had been baptized in fire.
St-Pierre vindicated himself from any need to give explanations to others for past failures. His physical abilities took over, and he defeated Koscheck by a convincing unanimous decision.
2) Guts and Glory (Def. B.J. Penn at UFC 58)
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Those questioning St-Pierre's heart and mental toughness may have missed this fight.
In his first fight with B.J. Penn at UFC 58, St-Pierre went to war with the former champion in a bout that ended in a controversial split decision.
Penn used his superior boxing to light St-Pierre up on the feet in the opening round. Along with a badly broken nose, St-Pierre lost the majority of his sight in his right eye after an accidental eye poke.
It was adversity unlike anything the French Canadian had ever experienced, but the fight was far from over.
Bloodied and battered, St-Pierre stormed back in the second and third rounds with successful takedowns and strong top control. Penn wilted under St-Pierre's constant and relentless pressure.
Every person has the right to his or her opinion about St-Pierre's mental toughness, but they didn't have to fight one of the greatest fighters of all time with one eye and a broken nose.
1) A Dream Realized (Def. Matt Hughes at UFC 65 for UFC Welterweight Title)
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November 18. 2006 is a date that St-Pierre will remember for the rest of his life.
On that night, he defeated Matt Hughes to become the UFC Welterweight Champion for the first time in his illustrious career.
It was a major moment in MMA history as fans watched St-Pierre dominate Hughes and pick up the second round TKO stoppage. Hughes was no longer the top welterweight, and he would never again wear UFC gold.
As human beings, we all have dreams and aspirations in life, but the majority of us never get to see those dreams come to fruition. In front of thousands of fans, St-Pierre seized the moment and accomplished a lifelong dream.
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