Although UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre possesses MMA’s deadliest ground game, he isn’t pleased with the lack of highlight reel finishes on his resume, specifically of late.
“I’m not satisfied about my ratio of knockouts,” GSP told Tapology.com. “I have knockouts, but I want to bring my ratio up. I’m more powerful than I was, and by being more powerful I’m faster as well. Power is strength and speed together.”
St-Pierre owns a sick 19-2 professional mark, but the future UFC Hall of Famer’s career can be broken down into two eras if you wanted to dissect the champ’s KO stats; B.S. and A.S.
Before Serra and After Serra.
Prior to his shocking TKO loss to Matt Serra at UFC 69 in April 2007, St-Pierre held a 13-1 record with six of those victories coming via some sort of knockout. That’s an impressive 46 percent clip.
However, since losing his title to the overwhelming underdog, the French-Canadian morphed into the planet’s best ground guru, and even though he’s enjoying a 6-0 run A.S., emerging more untouchable each time he exits the Octagon against “the biggest challenge” of his career, St-Pierre has only ended two via knockout.
He viciously avenged his loss to Serra at UFC 83 to unify the title, however his anticlimactic TKO (corner stoppage) win over BJ Penn at UFC 94 lacked the explosive ending he was hoping for. However, GSP vs. Penn II was as bad a thrashing any fighter could possibly unleash on an opponent, so St-Pierre shouldn’t feel too bad.
As dominant as he’s looked A.S., just like all the GREATS to grace their respective sports, GSP is selfish and he wants more. Since humbling Thiago Alves at UFC 100 last July, he’s been in the lab tinkering with his nearly-flawless game and is promising to emerge bigger and badder than before.
“Right now, I’m about 190lbs. I’m bigger and I’m getting even bigger than I was, more powerful, and more explosive. I hit much harder,” St-Pierre emphatically stated. “We have been working on a lot of different stuff to make me hit harder and to give me more power on my strikes. It’s going to change a lot of things.”
If St-Pierre wants to increase his KO ratio, he’s going to have to refrain from taking his foes to the mat. It’s a lot easier getting a highlight reel knockout while standing than it is inside the guard. With that said, it is EASIER to get knocked out standing as well.
So Georges, why engage in a slugout when that’s the only way you can lose?
GSP has the perfect opportunity to showcase his new-found punching power when he meets British slugger Dan Hardy at UFC 111. However, it’s hard to imagine St-Pierre not taking Hardy down and risk getting caught with something.
hardy is dangerous: he has big, big power and likes to swing for the fences. Georges will take him down and work him over on the ground. standing up, though, hardy can kick his behind
bk commented on February 24, 2010 @ 4:31 pm
GSP has a solid chin. Alves hit him, and he took it. Serra hit him A LOT and GSP still tapped at the end (it really wasn’t a TKO technically).
Hardy is great – promotionally speaking – but lacks the full-spectrum game he needs to be a dominant WW at the moment. A lucky punch is all he has, while GSP has everything. Serra proved what a lucky punch (to the back of the head) is worth in the long run. While, people like Anderson Silva have lost 4 times (3 if you don’t count the DQ) but are so consistent and dominant that a few blemishes on the record take nothing away from their legacy.
Despite that – my fight prediction is: GSP by overwhelming awesomeness.
MMAnalyst commented on March 1, 2010 @ 11:48 am
gsp will never loose a fight by tko he is just too good. He wiil just take hardy down and kil him
chicken lover commented on March 6, 2010 @ 2:43 pm