Welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre will defend his title this Saturday night against Nick Diaz.
Animosity between the two combatants has been simmering for awhile now and recently reached a boil in the week leading up to the fight, which has made UFC 158 one of the most highly anticipated events of 2013.
While the intrigue of the rivalry has captured the attention of most MMA fans, there is not too much dissension when it comes to forecasting a winner. By and large, fans have leaned GSP’s way, predicting another decision for the Canadian in front of his hometown fans in Montreal.
The UFC’s newest superstar, Ronda Rousey, has made a name for herself by breaking boundaries in a male dominated sport, so it should come as no shock that she isn’t following the crowd when she predicts the outcome on the UFC 158 main event.
“One of the things that makes this card so interesting is that I don’t know how it’s going to go,” Rousey admitted during a brief interview with Sportsnet. She went on to explain that her perception of St-Pierre has changed over the years, and she wonders if the rivalry between he and Diaz will bring out the formerly aggressive style he once employed.
I know that GSP is a lot more riled up for this fight, and I really hope to see him returning to the actual ‘Rush’ St-Pierre that I haven’t seen since that loss to Matt Serra. You know, I used to be a really big GSP fan, but I have seen the way he fights kind of changing over the years, and he obviously has not been very supportive of the women fighters.
On the other hand, Rousey is sure that Diaz will bring into the Octagon what she wants to see. “Nick has always been one of my favorite fighters,” she confessed. “I’ve always admired his fighting style, since I even started doing MMA. I really hope that he wins this.”
When pressed for a hard prediction, Rousey expressed her belief that Diaz will do enough to pull off the upset and dethrone the 170-pound division’s longtime ruler.
“I think he [Diaz] can [win], and I think he will,” she said.
Do you agree with the face of WMMA, or is her friendship with Diaz and disdain for GSP clouding her judgment?
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