From The Small Town To The Big City:The Story Of GSP

It was a long and complicated road, but Georges St. Pierre became a UFC star and a UFC champion. Who would have thought that this kid from St. Isidore, Quebec, Canada would one day be the best MMA welterweight fighter in the world.

Born on May 19th, 1981, Georges St-Pierre started Kyokushin Karate to defend from school bullies (I doubt they would bully him today). Unfortunately, his Karate teacher died and Georges began training in wrestling and BJJ and boxing under Firas Zahabi at Trystar Gym in Montreal.

Georges made his professional MMA debut in UCC, the Montreal version of the UFC. Fighters like David Loiseau, Jonathan Goulet and Patrick Cote all made their professional debut in that same company. GSP went on to submit UFC veteran Pete Spratt in his first fight via first round rear naked choke.

Georges proved he belonged there, winning all of his professional fights in Montreal and eventually becoming the company's welterweight champion. Having opened alot of eyes with his skills, Georges was approached by the UFC and given his first fight at UFC 46 against Karo Parisyan.

St-Pierre dominated the Judo expert and won a decision before winning his second fight at UFC 48.

BJ Penn was stripped of the welterweight title he had won against Matt Hugues the same night GSP made his UFC debut and now St-Pierre and Hugues were going to fight for the vacated title at UFC 50.

GSP had a good showing against Hugues, but ended up getting armbarred in the first round and GSP was forced to tap with only one second left in the round. St-Pierre's dream of becoming champion were crushed, but the long road to the title was about to begin.

GSP fought at UFC 52, 54, 56 and 58 defeating Jason Miller, Frank Trigg, Sean Sherk and BJ Penn respectively. Georges put such a beating on Trigg at UFC 54, that Trigg actually cried inside the octagon after the fight and anybody could have told you, the GSP that fought Matt Hugues wasn't the same GSP that had crushed these four top fighters.

Georges was always told that he was a very different fighter each time he stepped inside the octagon. It seemed as though every time Georges won, he returned for his next fight two-times better and when he lost, four times better.

Georges became a coach on season four of TUF where he trained with UFC veterans. He also had the opportunity of training with fellow Canadian and very good friend Patrick Cote. Every fighter in the house liked Georges because he was such a nice guy and was willing to help at any time.

Georges even became good friends with Matt Serra, the man who went on to shock the world against GSP himself.

But first, GSP got his rematch against Matt Hugues for the UFC welterweight title at UFC 65 and St-Pierre showed to everybody that he was at another level completely than his previous fight against Hugues.

Georges became the champion after a TKO victory in the second round.

GSP had realized his dream of becoming a UFC champion but that dream was short lived when the whole world turned upside down five months later.

The date was April 7th, 2007 and the event was UFC 69. Matt Serra and Georges St-Pierre had become good buddies on TUF, but Serra had won the show at 170 pounds and received a shot at the champion Georges St-Pierre.

Matt Serra was an 11-1 underdog heading into this fight, but ended up beating Georges in the first round and becoming the new champion. Serra made history that night winning the fight many people considered the upset of the year and greatest upset in UFC history.

After the fight, Georges said he wasn't focused enough for the fight because of personal problems, but said in a second interview that he had no excuses to make, he felt he had disrespected Matt Serra by saying he wasn't focused for the fight and just said Matt Serra was the better fighter that night.

So there we go again, Georges on the same road he walked on before, the path to another title shot. Josh Koscheck has made his way up the ladder in the welterweight division and UFC matchmaker Joe Silva decided to make St-Pierre vs. Koscheck for UFC 74.

Koscheck thought he was going to be the better wrestler, but he was taken down at will by a better Georges St-Pierre. At the beginning of round three, GSP took Josh down and Josh actually whispered to Georges congratulations, you're gonna win. GSP went on to win a decision against Koscheck.

He then defeated Matt Hugues for the second time at UFC 79 when Matt Serra was unable to defend the welterweight title against Hugues. St-Pierre took Serra's place and became the interim welterweight champion.

The rematch everybody was waiting for was gonna take place in front 21,000 people in the Bell Center in Montreal. Georges had asked Dana White for the fight to be in his hometown of Montreal and the show was a huge success. Georges dominated Serra and won back the title.

At this point, Jon Fitch was undefeated in the UFC and a fight against UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre was inevitable. They fought at UFC 87:Seek And Destroy and GSP dominated Fitch to alot of people's surprise and retained the welterweight title.

Georges is now scheduled UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn in a long awaited rematch at UFC 94, a fight I am confident Georges is going to win. Georges has learned alot since his UFC 58 fight against BJ and has evolved to another level as a fighter, can the same be said about BJ Penn?

During his UFC career, Georges has trained with several different camps, training in Montreal with Firas zahabi, training with Renzo Gracie, Fabio Holanda and even with former boxer Otis Grant.

Georges has also been training with Greg Jackson and his boys Nate Marquardt, Keith Jardine and Rashad Evans. Both Evans and Jardine have also come to Montreal to train with Georges and his team and even if GSP is 170 pounds and Evans and Jardine are 205, Georges was the superior wrestler, he was able to take both men down at will (and Rashad Evans is considered a good wrestler).

Will the name Georges St. Pierre go down in history?

For sure it will, considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world after Fedor and Silva, and is without a doubt the greatest welterweight fighter in the world.

He will be considered the greatest UFC welterweight champion in a couple of years, a nickname that is given to Matt Hugues right now and when Fedor and Silva retire, Georges will sit atop the mountain as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, not bad for a kid that comes from a village of 2,500 people.

The road has been a long one, but I am glad to say that a guy from a small town one hour from where I live, a guy who trained and still trains at the place I'm training right now under the same coach that I have right now, is a damn nice guy and one of the very best at a brutal sport.

Yes, I am glad to say that the UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre comes from Montreal, Quebec.