UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has one of his biggest challenges ahead of him in former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz at UFC 143, but the Canadian superstar believes he has the formula to beat Diaz, according to a recent interview with the Montreal Gazette.
“I truly believe (Diaz) deserves the fight,” St-Pierre said earlier this week at a GSP RushFit DVD promotional event in Montreal. “He’s a fight that I want and a fight that everybody wants to see. Let’s do it.”
“It’s always the same thing. It doesn’t change anything for me,” said St-Pierre, who referred to Diaz as a typical trash-talking opponent that he has had to deal with before. “They can say whatever, they can try to get into my head. I’m going to stay the same.”
The most notable of St-Pierre’s out-spoken opponents was Josh Koscheck, who he defeated at UFC 124. He followed up on that victory with a win over a more respectable opponent in Jake Shields, who trains with Diaz at Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.
When St-Pierre was scheduled to face Diaz at UFC 137, Diaz was removed from the main event after missing two pre-fight press conferences. St-Pierre then got injured himself in training and Diaz fought and beat B.J. Penn instead. In the post-fight interview, Diaz had strong words for St-Pierre, asking him where he was at.
He also said he didn’t think St-Pierre was hurt, but scared.
After time off to deal with the injury, St-Pierre returned to training this week and is fully recovered.
“It’s not going to be an issue,” he said. “I’m going to be good to go. My workout is more tough than the fight.”
Diaz will enter the bout on a 10-fight win streak with victories over Penn, Paul Daley, KJ Noons, Hayato Sakurai and Marius Zaromskis. Of his 26 victories, 21 of them have come by way of submission or knockout.
“He’s a very good boxer, probably one of the best in mixed martial arts,” St-Pierre added. “Also very good jiu-jitsu. But I believe I’m better than him everywhere. He’s fought very well, but I know I have his number. I will beat him.”
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