UFC 129: What Must Georges St. Pierre Do to Become the Greatest of All Time?
UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre is one of MMA's best pound-for-pound fighters, as well as one of the most dominating champions ever to step into the Octagon.
His professional record is 21-2, and he has defeated every opponent he has faced. He has defended his title five times, and is set to do so for a sixth time at UFC 129 versus the very tough grappler and wrestler Jake Shields (26-4-1), who is currently on a 15-fight win streak.
So what does he have to do to go down as one of the greatest ever? Read on to see.
No. 5: Fight B.J. Penn (or Any Hall of Famer) One More Time
1 of 5
It's easy to understand why this fight shouldn't happen. St. Pierre defeated the two-division champion B.J. Penn twice.
The first was a close and competitive fight, with St. Pierre being awarded a split-decision. The second was much more one-sided, and it was one of the biggest fights in MMA history.
St. Pierre dominated the Hawaiian for four rounds before Penn's corner threw in the towel before the fifth. Controversy emerged after the fight, as Penn accused St. Pierre's corner of putting vaseline over his back and arms during the breaks in-between rounds.
It was true, but nothing came from it. If St. Pierre is content with taking rematches with opponents he has already beaten, this is one he should consider over the others.
No. 4: Start Finishing Opponents Again
2 of 5
Every fan knows he has the ability to finish fights. So why isn't it happening?
Is it because the fighters he is taking on are the very best and are tough fighters to finish in general? Or is it because he doesn't take the necessary risks to produce a knockout or submission?
Maybe it's a combination of both.
Since losing to Matt Serra, it seems St. Pierre is content with just winning by decision while dominating his opponents. It's okay if a fighter doesn't finish an opponent if it's a close and competitive fight throughout, but St. Pierre's fights are not. They are continually one-sided for five rounds.
The reason Anderson Silva will go down as one of the greatest ever, despite having some occasional duds, is that he has amazing knockout victories under his belt. His knockouts of Forrest Griffin and Vitor Belfort are two of the most spectacular knockouts in UFC history.
That is what St. Pierre needs again, and he doesn't have one since his fight with Matt Hughes at UFC 65. He knocked Hughes down with a head kick and followed up with punches to win the welterweight title.
No. 3 Remain Unbeaten Till He Calls It Quits
3 of 5
It's one of the most intriguing things about Canada's premier athlete. It appears he can't be beaten, let alone lose a round.
Both are nearly impossible to do in a sport filled with so many possible outcomes. St. Pierre does what he wants to do, and he is undefeated because of it.
He has lost before, and could have been undefeated in his entire career. He has defeated every opponent he has ever faced, but he has also grown from the losses he suffered against Matt Serra and Matt Hughes.
It's hard to predict retirement when he is still only 29, and if he remains undefeated, will have to choose for himself when the right time is to call it quits.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
No. 2 Defeat Jake Shields and Nick Diaz
4 of 5
Even more important than finishing his opponents, it's very important that St. Pierre continues to dominate the welterweight division.
To do this, he must fight Jake Shields and Nick Diaz. He is currently scheduled to fight Shields, who is on a 15-fight win streak, at UFC 129 in Toronto April 30th.
Another welterweight he should fight is current Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz. Diaz is on a 10-fight win streak, and has stopped nine of his last 10 opponents. It's the biggest fight that can be made after Georges St. Pierre fights Jake Shields.
These two names on his resume will be major to him obtaining the status as the best welterweight of all time.
No. 1 Fight and Defeat Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva
5 of 5
It would be the biggest fight in the history of Mixed Martial Arts.
The UFC middleweight champion and number one pound-for-pound fighter, Anderson Silva, versus UFC welterweight champion and number two pound-for-pound fighter, Georges St. Pierre. It doesn't get much bigger than that.
What's at stake is not just a title, but a legacy—something both fighters are interested in leaving behind when their careers are over.
If the fight is going to happen, it should happen as soon as possible. Silva is not getting any younger, and St. Pierre is in the beginning of his prime.
This fight alone could do so much for St. Pierre's career, but it appears the welterweight champion isn't interested in doing it as of now.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
