Having just returned from spending two days in Montreal, the timing is perfect to address many of your questions about Georges St-Pierre, as well as some of the stories that made headlines while I was in La Belle Province. I’ve already answered many of them on Twitter and Facebook, but here are a few that need a bit more than 140 character allowance.
@EdlundEric asked: “You’ve been chatting with GSP and his trainers, does he still have motivation to fight & compete in UFC?”
Yes, but let me explain.
Georges is competing because he absolutely loves to fight and does not want to do anything else. He does not fight because he has bills to pay; he fights for a variety of reasons, all of which keep him motivated. Money is a great motivator, yes, but he likely has enough coin saved up, that at the very least, a couple of generations of St-Pierres will be financially stable and can live life with a silver spoon in their mouths.
I’ve met my fair share of millionaires and a few billionaires over the years, and they all share a few common characteristics. They all can walk away, never to be heard from again, but they still do what they do because they love it. They love the competition. They love to be the very best of the best. People have forgotten about how Georges firmly believes in his legacy, and that he wants to be remembered as the greatest mixed martial artist of all-time. He does not believe he has achieved that goal yet, so the motivation is not the issue. The real question is what’s “the plan” he keeps talking about? “The Plan” – that’s what people should be focusing on.
@DucharmeJay asked: “Do you see another dominant decision win for GSP or a upset waiting to happen? Johny Hendricks has the wrestling to make it close.”
Forecasting what will actually happen in a fight is next to impossible, so all I can really do is go on past results, trends and tendencies, in the hopes to make an educated guess on a potential outcome.
Georges often wins by decision. Johny knocks guys out early. What happens if Johny is unable to finish GSP off in the first round? Hendricks has never fought more than three rounds, whereas St-Pierre has done so on eight different occasions. And as for his wrestling, it’s exceptional for sure, but in MMA, no wrestler has gotten the better of GSP to date, but there’s a first for everything. As simple as it sounds, Johny can stun the world in the first eight minutes, but after that I’m thinking Georges will win at bare minimum, three rounds. And if Hendricks cannot keep up to Georges’s pace, we may see a finish in the later rounds.
@Hughson88 asked: “When will the UFC be announcing the contestants for TUF Nations: Canada vs. Australia?”
TUF Nations: Canada vs. Australia has officially begun recording, but the cast members for both teams has yet to be released. I had a chance to speak with coaches Patrick Cote and Kyle Noke, who both made an appearance at the Tristar Gym, and both are not only excited to get the ball rolling, but entering some weird territory. They’ve both competed on the reality show as athletes, but it’s their first time as coaches. While I do not know who’s on their respective teams, they both shared a similar confidence and goal, that their squads can go undefeated against their opposition.
As for when the cast will be revealed, I’m just going by history here, and based on previous TUF seasons, the athletes are revealed after taping has been completed. I am guessing it will be sometime in the first week of December. That’s about six weeks from now, and approximately one month from the show’s debut on Sportsnet 360.
@VTookenay asked: “Lyoto Machida looked great. Will his move down to 185 give him a better chance at a title?”
Absolutely. He was not going to get a second crack at Jon Jones, so he was somewhat forced to drop down to 185 pounds He does so, and puts forth a solid performance in his middleweight debut. That was followed up by Dana White saying he’d like to see him take on Vitor Belfort next, who many believe is the next man to get a crack at the title. That’s MMA Latin for Lyoto Machida is getting a title shot with one more victory.
@Rammer1981 asked: “Do you think Dominick Cruz has a shot against Renan Barao after such a long layoff and who opens as the favourite?”
My answer is yes. Dominick definitely has a chance, but at the moment, it is not looking good on paper. What we don’t all get to see is how is training camp will be. Cruz is the champ for a reason, and it’s not because he’s lucky. He’s a relentless worker who puts on a relentless pace inside the Octagon. We saw how GSP looked when he returned from his long layoff due to an ACL injury. That bout versus Carlos Condit was one for the ages, and truth be told, one has to assume he was rusty in that bout. But can Dominick get away with being rusty against Barao, who has been competing on a regular basis since winning the interim title, finishing two guys in the top 10 in the process? My answer is no, but maybe the American can prove all the critics wrong, and show up on Feb. 1 as if he’s never missed a moment inside the Octagon.
Here are two from my Facebook page:
(Former UFC featherweight) Antonio Carvalho asked: “What do you think of the UFC signing Tatsuya Kawajiri? How do you think he stacks up against the current roster of UFC featherweights?”
Irony or coincidence that this question is coming from you?
My first look at Tatsuya Kawajiri was with Carvalho, while we were sitting in the infamous Justin Bruckmann’s living room. Antonio had returned home from competing in Japan, and had some DVDs that I needed to watch. We sat their that evening and when Kawajiri came on the screen both guys were like “CHECK THIS GUY OUT!”
I was in awe. I found my new favorite fighter. “The Crusher” was a monster, and throughout the peak of his career, would demolish opposition. When this guy got mount, forget about it; it was over. But now, at age 35, I question if his best days are behind him. He’s already asked for Cub Swanson, a monster at 145 pounds. Is this too big of a risk for Tatsuya, who has never competed for the UFC? What if he’s asked to fight outside of Japan again, on American soil? He’s only done that once and you can make the argument that it was the worse loss of his career (first-round TKO loss to Gilbert Melendez). Give me Kawajiri’s first UFC bout in Japan (or somewhere close) versus a featherweight just outside of the top 10 and I’ll be a happy camper. I’ll assess his ring rust then, as let’s face it, my other concern is he has not competed since December of 2012, a victory over Michihiro Omigawa, that sees “The Crusher” riding a five-fight win streak.
Trevor Morgan asked: “Any word on UFC in Vancouver in 2014?”
I’m not a betting man, but seeing as there is now a provincial commission in Vancouver, I’m thinking the UFC will return in 2014. But, the competition could get ugly. To my understanding, there will be two Canadian PPV’s next year, one in Montreal and one in Toronto. I also believe a third will land in The Great White North, and I’m wondering if Vancouver and Winnipeg are the front runners. People can say all they want about Calgary, despite what you may or may not believe in what Dana White may have said, but I’m not sure they will go back there for a PPV. Maybe a fight night card. I stand by what I have been saying about Calgary since the event in 2012. Unfortunately for the real fans out there, their suffering is a by-product of the non-real fans and some of the local media. I for one, cannot wait for the UFC to return to Cow Town, as I really enjoy it there, but perhaps the sour taste in the mouths of some UFC brass has yet to go away.
On a side note, let’s not forget about the TUF Nations Finale. That has to end up somewhere in Canada, and there are many cities that could bid for that event. Stay tuned.