Georges St-Pierre and Matt Hughes: Comparing the Best Welterweights Ever

It's hard to argue against the fact that both Georges St-Pierre and Matt Hughes aren't in a class of their own; they are two of the most successful competitors in UFC history.

Hughes is one of the most accomplished grapplers to step into the Octagon and was arguably the most dominant champion of his era.

Georges St-Pierre is one of the most well-rounded fighters to make his presence known in the UFC, along with being one of the most dynamic and athletic fighters in the sport today. Together, they are two of the most decorated champions of all time. 

In this slideshow we'll compare their careers and look at their overall skill set, competition and title defenses, in order to determine who is the greatest UFC welterweight champion of all time. 

1.) Overall Skill Set

Hughes was one of the most successful champions in UFC history and was known for his brute strength and superior wrestling ability. As competitive as his opponents were, as soon as he was able to take them down and pass their guard, it was only a matter of time before he would unleash a ferocious ground-and pound which would ultimately signal the end of the bout.

Owning victories over the likes of BJ Penn, Frank Trigg and Georges St-Pierre, Hughes also utilized his intelligence and versatility as a mixed martial artist.  

St-Pierre is one of the most accomplished and innovative athletes to fight in the UFC. Consistently improving to be one of the greatest fighters of all-time, he is very efficient at formulating game plans and strategies accordingly, as he exposes weaknesses in his opponents.

Much like Hughes, St-Pierre also holds superior grappling ability which allows him to control and dominate his opposition like no one else. In addition to his wrestling credentials, he is also one of the most well-rounded fighters today, displaying dynamic striking and submissions. 

While Hughes did dominate and overwhelm all of his competition with his grappling, St-Pierre is a much more well-rounded and versatile fighter. Not only does he utilize his wrestling, but he also mixes up his striking. Not to mention, he is much more cerebral than Hughes, as he physically and mentally breaks down his opponents with strategy and effective game planning. 

Advantage: St-Pierre

2.) Competition

During their careers in the UFC, neither St-Pierre or Hughes have fought against many slouches. 

Hughes has only fought against some of the organization's top fighters including Sean Sherk, BJ Penn, Hayato Sakurai and Carlos Newton. While reigning atop the UFC welterweight division, Hughes was unstoppable in his prime. Accumulating an overall record of 45-9-0, it is easy to understand just how dominant Hughes was. 

St-Pierre has also fought his own share of top competitors, making it look relatively easy in the process, as he has defeated the likes of Sean Sherk, BJ Penn, Jon Fitch, Thaigo Alves and Jake Shields. There hasn't been a tough fight that the French-Canadian hasn't had to prepare for. 

Both competitors have had to face a fair amount of tough opponents, including each other on three separate occasions. St-Pierre's competition has obviously evolved since Hughes' title reign, making his opposition a little more tougher, but they still have faced and defeated a majority of the same fighters.

Advantage: Even

3.) Title Defenses

In addition to facing the same amount of competition, Hughes and St-Pierre have both held lengthy title reigns. 

While holding the title during the early part of the decade, Hughes successfully defended the welterweight title seven times. Some of his opponents included BJ Penn, Frank Trigg and Gill Castillo. He would successfully defend the title five times in his first reign, and he would reclaim the title once again to defend the strap two more times. 

Like Hughes, St-Pierre is also a two-time UFC welterweight champion. St-Pierre has defeated a list of who's who to successfully defend the welterweight title. Although he had lost to Matt Serra in his first defense, "Rush" would go on to reclaim the title and hold victories over Serra, BJ Penn, Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck.

As it stands, Hughes still holds the UFC record with seven UFC welterweight title defenses. St-Pierre currently has six title defenses and was scheduled to make his seventh title defense against Carlos Condit prior to suffering a knee injury. While it is likely St-Pierre will eventually surpasses Hughes' record, for now, the UFC hall of famer holds the record.

Advantage: Hughes

Conclusion

Although Hughes has established an incredible career for himself in the UFC, St-Pierre is still continuing his dominance among the welterweight division, and he shows no indication of slowing down anytime soon. 

Also, St-Pierre is a much more well-rounded and diverse fighter, as he excels at nearly every aspect of mixed martial arts, while Hughes' main strength was his grappling ability. St-Pierre also holds two dominant victories over Hughes. 

And while Hughes might still hold the record for most title defenses at 170 pounds, St-Pierre will likely exceed that accomplishment in the near future. 

Hughes and St-Pierre still remain as two of the most successful champions in UFC history, but St-Pierre stands alone as the greatest UFC welterweight of all time.