Carlos Condit may have been Georges St-Pierre’s toughest test in the UFC, but he didn’t show us anything we didn’t already know about the UFC welterweight champ.
Outside of a slight scare in the third round, St-Pierre controlled and dominated Condit like he has every other opponent in his MMA career.
At the end of the fight, two of the three judges scored every round for St-Pierre, while a lone judge gave Condit the third round.
St-Pierre has dominated the welterweight division for years, and despite coming off a serious knee injury, he appears to be just as good—if not better—than he’s ever been.
What is the blueprint to defeating St-Pierre? Who has the skill set to get the job done?
St-Pierre’s fighting style is all about finesse and timing. Currently, there isn’t a single fighter at 170-pounds that can match his speed and athleticism.
As with every great fighter, St-Pierre’s opponents are left guessing and remain stagnant instead of pressing forward over the course of a fight.
Matt Serra defeated St-Pierre in April 2007 by pressing forward and forcing wild exchanges. Condit dropped St-Pierre in the third round when he opened up his offense and put together combinations.
St-Pierre is as tough and durable as they come, but he isn’t built for exchanges in the pocket. A fighter with one-punch knockout power and world class wrestling would have the greatest chance of ousting the French Canadian.
Johny Hendricks is the first name that comes to mind. As a two-time NCAA Division I wrestling champ, he has developed some of the best one-punch knockout power in all of MMA. His world class wrestling would help him fend off takedowns and force St-Pierre to engage in the pocket.
Nick Diaz is also an interesting challenge for St-Pierre.
While he lacks one-punch knockout power, Diaz is easily the best boxer in the entire welterweight division. His aggressive style would be a stark contrast to St-Pierre’s previous opponents.
If taken down, Diaz‘s world class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu would keep things interesting on the ground.
A blueprint is generally composed of what looks good on paper. St-Pierre is the UFC champion and one of MMA’s all-time greats for a reason. Hendricks and Diaz present interesting challenges, but St-Pierre would still enter both bouts as the overwhelming favorite.
Still, no one remains champion forever. Someone will eventually cash in on the St-Pierre sweepstakes.
It’s the when and who that remain a mystery.
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