...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!
Which fight do you think is Georges St-Pierre's defining performance, and why?
RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
This is a trick question, seeing as how St-Pierre's defining performance may not have happened yet. If GSP comes back from the horrific injuries he's sufered over the last year-plus and defeats Carlos Condit, THAT is the defining performance of his career. To overcome knee injuries and the doubt that has to have set in, and then return and beat Carlos Freaking Condit in his very first fight back? Sure, battering Jon Fitch is nice and all, but a win over Condit in these circumstances moves him from legend to MMA immortal.
DAN MOORE, MMATORCH UK CONTRIBUTOR
Losing to Matt Serra at UFC 69 in which I believe he totally underestimated his opponent and was humiliated in one of the biggest upsets of all time. Although he had lost to Matt Hughes a few years earlier, that wasn't wholly unexpected, the loss to Serra was different. He matured beyond all recognition after that and hasn't looked back since, which included destroying Serra in their rematch at UFC 83. Since that loss he's very rarely been put in a position in which he's been likely to come off second best. That fight defined the somewhat boring tactical approach that GSP has used recently to win decision after decision.
BRAD WALKER, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
The way GSP dominated Josh Koscheck is the defining moment to me. He took him apart and made him look silly for the entire fight, and the jabs were just raining on Kos's face. GSP showed that night that his striking is no joke and he is still somehow evolving as a fighter.
FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Losing to Matt Serra caused GSP to become ultra-conservative. That's definitely defined GSP in his last several fights. However, I also think his 2nd fight against Matt Hughes, where GSP knocked out Hughes with a headkick would have to be considered a defining moment for GSP.
ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
I think his defining performance was back at UFC 65 against Matt Hughes, when he first won the welterweight title. He had lost to Hughes at UFC 50, and this could have gone the same way. Any time a fighter fights someone he has lost to in the past, the mental game of winning becomes a tougher task. He dominated Hughes at UFC 65 in every aspect of the fight. GSP showed the greatness in that fight that would define him for the rest of his career.
JASON AMADI, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
Georges St-Pierre's destruction of Jon Fitch is his signature win in the Octagon. He really went out and brutalized the second best welterweight in the world (at the time) and made it clear that he was head and shoulders above his contemporaries.
GSP hasn't looked anywhere near as hungry and determined to finish a fight since, so I feel like the sort contrast that exists between that performance and later performances really just highlight that bout even further.
(Attention MMATorch app users: Make sure to upgrade to the latest edition of the MMATorch app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device!)
Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
STAFF COLUMNISTS: Shawn Ennis - Jason Amadi
Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey
Interested in joining MMATorch's writing team? Send idea for a theme to your column (for Specialist section) or area of interest (i.e. TV Reporter) along with a sample of writing to mmatorch@gmail.com.
