Georges St Pierre the Best pound for pound UFC Fighter from Canada
Until the 1990s, mixed martial arts was a sport primarily dominated by fighters from Asia and South America. This is not surprising - the two continents are the historical birthplaces and breeding grounds for the majority of martial arts that were the basis of original MMA fighting. Many of the most successful early MMA fighters were versed in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a form of judo that focuses on grappling and submission holds. In addition, Muay Thai kickboxers and shoot fighters also were prevalent in the early years of the sport.
American fighters became dominant in the 1990s as they combined boxing and kickboxing relating striking skills with takedowns and “ground and pound” offense. Many of these techniques involve skills that are easily transferable from amateur wrestling, and it is little surprise that many of the sport’s current top stars (such as Brock Lesnar) were outstanding amateur grapplers.
Amateur wrestling isn’t nearly as strong of a sport in Canada, so it isn’t surprising that the country has lagged behind the United States in developing a continual flow of top MMA talent. However, there is one significant exception to the rule: Georges St. Pierre. The current UFC welterweight champion is considered by many to be the top pound-for-pound fighter in MMA today. He has certainly put together one of the most impressive resumes in MMA, claiming wins in recent years over B.J. Penn, Matt Hughes, Matt Serra, Thiago Alves and Jon Fitch.
There’s little question that the Montreal-based St. Pierre is hands down the top current Canadian MMA fighter - and the greatest MMA talent the country has ever produced. One of the reasons that he is so successful is that he is always willing to work hard and improve his skills despite already being at the top of the sport. This fact was evidenced by him recent decision to temporarily relocate to Los Angeles to work with renowned boxing trainer Freddie Roach. St. Pierre said he made the move not only to turn himself into a more skilled MMA striker but with an eye toward a possible boxing career when he decides to hang up his MMA gloves.
So which MMA fighter is ready to assume the mantle of top Canadian when St. Pierre does retire? There is no one standout fighter who comes to mind, but there are a few who come to mind. For a while, it looked like Patrick Cote was the heir-in-waiting to the title of best Canadian fighter, especially when he put together a string of wins against the likes of Kendall Grove and Ricardo Almeida that earned him a title shot against Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight title in October 2008.
Although he became the first fighter to last into the third round against Silva in a UFC bout, it came at a significant cost. Cote landed awkwardly while attempting a kick in the third round, crumpling to the ground and causing the fight to be stopped. He suffered significant damage to his right knee, requiring a series of surgeries that put him out of action for more than 18 months. His return to the ring was far from a success, as he was submitted by Alan Belcher in the second round of his comeback fight on May 8.
While he might not be a fighter on the level of St. Pierre, certainly Sam Stout is one of the most exciting Canadian MMA fighters, if not one of the most exciting fighters in the world. Stout has earned “Fight of the Night” honors on five different occasions during UFC cards, including the most recent card at UFC 113 for his back-and-forth split decision loss to Jeremy Stephens - Stout’s third consecutive Fight of the Night honor.
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