UFC 129: What Is at Stake for MMA in the Georges St-Pierre vs Jake Shields Fight

On Saturday, April 30th, one of the most critical fights in 2011 will take place between current UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and challenger Jake Shields.

This will be St-Pierre's sixth defense of his welterweight title and perhaps the most crucial defense of his title.

This is because there is more at stake in the fight than just a championship belt. The importance of who wins the main event at UFC 129 goes far beyond bragging rights and a leather strap adorned with gold.

What is potentially at stake is the ultimate fate of MMA in Canada.

It is well known that Georges St-Pierre is to Canada what Chuck Liddell was in the United States—but even more popular. Under such circumstances, a decisive loss by St-Pierre would severely damage the UFC's popularity in Canada.

Some may scoff at this and point out that Canadian MMA did not suffer when St-Pierre lost to Matt Serra four years ago back at UFC 69 in April 2007, but those who say this are ignoring the key fact that the Georges St-Pierre of 2007 was not the Georges St-Pierre of 2011.

In 2007, St-Pierre was popular, but he was not the superstar that he is now. He had only just won the title when he lost to Matt Serra. The situation is far different now. St-Pierre has defended his title six straight times and has been at the crux of the UFC's swift and successful expansion into Canada.

Thus, St-Pierre has a further distance to fall than he did in 2007, should he lose.

St-Pierre on the comeback trail can garner interest, but knowing the fickleness of MMA fans, this can not be depended on as fact. Even if St-Pierre on the comeback trail could do a reasonable job in selling pay-per-views and tickets, it would be undeniable that the former champion would have lost a significant deal of luster as well as his "mystique."

Another issue is that the UFC is still in the midst of building up its Canadian stars. It is not ready for their primary Canadian marketing device to be damaged in any way.

There is no other Canadian fighter on the UFC's roster that can sell out the Rogers Centre the way St-Pierre can.

The UFC would also lose millions of dollars on the back of a St-Pierre loss, Shields victory. If St-Pierre loses, there would be no super fight between him and Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. This fight would generate a massive number of pay-per-view buys and would likely be one of the biggest main events in the organization's history.

In addition to all this, St-Pierre losing could signal a shift in the MMA training scene. Greg Jackson's fabled gym would very possibly no longer be seen as the world's finest; such a title would be usurped by Cesar Gracie's gym.

Thus, on April 30th, Georges St-Pierre will be fighting for far more than his title or his reputation, but for the betterment of the Greg Jackson, the UFC, and MMA in Canada.