UFC 154: Georges St. Pierre vs. Carlos Condit – A Closer Look

Barely a week out from its visit to China, the UFC heads across the globe for their final Canada event this year. As a special treat for the Canadian audience the UFC 154 main event features a rare title unification showcasing the very best 170-pound fighters. Hosting this illustrious chapter in welterweight history will be Montreal, Quebec, Canada as Carlos Condit, the UFC Interim Welterweight Champion takes on returning UFC Welterweight Champion, Georges St. Pierre at the Bell Centre. The last welterweight unification happened in 2008 at UFC 83: St. Pierre vs. Serra 2 when the UFC held its first ever show in Canada. Georges unified the titles by stopping Serra via 2nd round TKO at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Fast forward four years later; the unified title is again up for grabs in the same country, same arena, and with the same name on the marquee. Can Georges recreate history or does Condit write his own in hostile territory with the upset this Saturday night?

Greg Jackson trained fighter, Georges “Rush” St .Pierre (22-2) suffered 2 knee injuries during training which canceled dual high profile fights; the first being his UFC 137 match against Condit in October of 2011. The second: a torn ACL prior to his fight with Nick Diaz at this past February’s UFC 143, resulting in a 19-month hiatus. Now rested and healthy, the division’s ruler rises to reclaim his throne. Holding the 2nd longest winning streak in the UFC with 9 straight, Georges aims for double digits to further enhance his long awaited return which comes peppered in criticism from the naysayers who doubt he can return to true form. Yet, if anyone can do so it’s the same man who holds dominant decision wins over former Strikeforce 185-pound champion Jake Shields, Jon Fitch, Thiago Alves & Josh Koscheck twice. As well as highlight reel stoppages over Matt Serra, 2-division UFC champion BJ Penn, and Matt Hughes twice. The TUF Season 12 head coach last defended his crown in April of 2012 against Jake Shields in Canada, therefore this almost 2-year long homecoming will be specially endearing to the home town fighter.

Greg Jackson trained fighter, “The Natural Born Killer” Carlos Condit (28-5) heads into this fight as the undisputed underdog but has so for the last 3 outings of his pro career, thus again being questioned as a legitimate opponent is a foregone conclusion to the New Mexico native. Out of his last 14 fights, he has tasted defeat only once albeit a split decision to Martin Kampmann in Carlos’ UFC debut in April of 2009. As of late “The Natural Born Killer” has upset the who’s who of the division starting with a 1st round, left hook KO of British sensation Dan Hardy for their UFC 120 match at the O2 Arena in London, England. Next, a flying knee separated then unbeaten Dong Hyun Kim from his senses at UFC 132 last July giving Carlos the 1st round stoppage along with a “Knockout of The Night” bonus. Most recently this past February, Condit took home a unanimous decision win as well as UFC Interim Welterweight gold in an upset over 3-1 favorite and former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, Nick Diaz at UFC 143.

Going into the match, both fighter’s head trainer Greg Jackson opted not to corner either man & be absent from the Octagon that night. That guideline was implemented as a result of the UFC 145 main event where Coach Jackson originally ran into the dilemma of his pupils Jon Jones and Rashad Evans, meeting in the Octagon. For fans to grasp a better understanding they can relate this to being a parent and having to pick a side if your two children competed professionally. So, the presence or lack there off of Greg may not be a determining factor in the cage seeing as how these two men can easily hold their own against anyone. But, factors to watch for will be if the Canadian icon’s home court advantage rattles the mind of Condit who hasn’t ever faced a foe with a following like that of St. Pierre. An adoring crowd may easily influence the judges when the decision comes down to which guy made the biggest impact. Can Condit get a fair deal in a battle widely viewed as an appetizer for a super-fight between Anderson Silva & St. Pierre at Dallas Cowboys Stadium in 2013? Can a 100% version of “Rush” be factored into this fight both mentally and physically or did the 31 year-old’s body recently tap out thus explaining back-to-back injuries after a lengthy career of rigorous training and countless wars? Is Georges on borrowed time thus doubling down on a career which might be remembered not for what he accomplished as a top Pound for Pound great but possibly embarrassments in front of his friends and family and Saturday is just the fist in a series constituting the inevitable fall from grace? We will all find out this weekend in the main event of UFC 154 as UFC Interim Welterweight Champion, Carlos Condit takes on UFC Welterweight Champion, Georges St. Pierre inside the Bell Centre from Montreal, Quebec, Canada in the ultimate test for 170-pound supremacy.